What is the Fast 800 Easy?
This book was conceived during the early months of the pandemic. Aware of the impact that being stuck inside, grazing on food and box sets, was having on people’s waists and blood sugar levels, I realised it might be helpful to produce a super-simple new companion cookbook to the Fast 800 to make it as easy as possible for people to eat healthily and lose weight, if they wanted to.
I’ve been a GP for more than 30 years, during which time I have seen a lot of change. Some good, some bad. One of the most striking changes has been a dramatic increase in the average patient’s waist size, as well as a doubling in rates of type 2 diabetes. Although there is an element of personal responsibility in how we manage our health, I don’t blame people for succumbing to temptation; I blame the junk food culture which pervades our world, a culture which encourages people to eat far too many sugary processed foods.
Most people are aware of the link between waist size and the risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease, cancer and diabetes, but it has taken the arrival of Covid 19 to inject a new sense of urgency. It is now known that if you are overweight or obese, and particularly if you also have a chronic disease like diabetes, then you are far more likely to end up in hospital if you get infected.
During lockdown, we suddenly found ourselves not only having to cook all our meals at home, but also – because of restricted access to fresh ingredients – relying more on food from our store cupboards and freezers. It got me thinking: what could make food prep easier on busy days than knowing that you can create healthy, tasty meals from the ingredients you’ve already got at your fingertips?
So back in April and May 2020, I threw myself into working out what moderately low-calorie, low-carb, Mediterranean-style meals I could produce for our household of five from our existing stores. I started posting what we had for lunch on Instagram (@drclarebailey), sharing recipes with ingredients likely to be at the back of everyone’s cupboards. Within weeks the recipes were being followed in thousands of households by people who were wanting to stay well and lose their lockdown weight gain.
There are plenty of occasions, of course, when there is no substitute for cooking with fresh ingredients, particularly when they are in season, but I now believe that we can get too hung up on the idea of ‘fresh’. Tinned, bottled and frozen foods are often not only cheaper but also just as tasty, and, contrary to popular misconceptions, highly nutritious. If vegetables are tinned or frozen soon after they come out of the ground, the vitamins and nutrients they contain are captured in optimum condition and ‘locked in’; whereas fresh veg and fruit left sitting on the supermarket shelf or in our fridges degrade and break down quite fast.
Happily, many of the principle ingredients of a Mediterranean diet – oily fish, nuts, olive oil, beans, lentils and wholegrains – can be freezer or store-cupboard staples. Fish is delicious fresh, of course, but it can be bought far more cheaply frozen or tinned. And, if you like fermented foods, which we do, then these too can live very well for a long time in the fridge.
I also wanted to make life easier for those who are in households where not everyone is following the Fast 800. So many of the recipes can be added to, or bolstered with more carbs for family members who are not trying to lose weight. That way you can all sit down and eat together, and avoid cooking lots of different meals.
The Covid-19 virus has underlined how important a healthy diet is for all of us. What we eat matters, not just for our weight and metabolic health, but also for maintaining an effective immune system to fight off infections. To shore up our immunity, we need to support our gut microbiome, those trillions of bugs that live in the large intestine. Food can be a powerful medicine. Eat a highly processed sugary diet and you knock off the good health-promoting bugs in your microbiome. Eat a varied diet with plenty of vegetables and fibre and you will be feeding up the good guys.
To keep your microbiome healthy and happy, I have included foods that will help it thrive – lots of lovely vegetables, as well as moderate amounts of beans, pulses and wholegrains. The latter are particularly high in fibre. As complex carbohydrates, they may add a few extra calories and carbs, but it’s worth it (and vital if you are vegetarian). So, I slip chickpeas into a chicken curry or toss them into a salad, and add lentils here and there. Most people find they get to love this way of eating and feel so much better for it.
This book is for all of you out there who are juggling busy lives and have limited time to cook; for less eager cooks, who want simplicity; or for others who, like me, don’t have the patience to spend hours at the stove and prefer to cut corners and do less washing up but still want to eat healthily.
Many of the recipes derive from my posts on Instagram during lockdown when we started sharing our lunches. The kids, now young adults, helped a lot with this, and gave honest feedback. And it was thrilling to find my Instagram followers also sharing their versions.
I have been incredibly lucky to team up again with acclaimed food writer Justine Pattison for further inspiration and for rigorous testing of all the recipes, to ensure they taste great and are easy to prepare. This book – like the last one – has benefited hugely from her years of wisdom, expertise and good humour, for which I am enormously grateful.
I hope you enjoy this way of eating, whether you are starting your weight-loss journey, looking for new recipes or just interested in the low-carb, Med-style diet as a healthy way of life going forwards.
Clare x
Making your 800-calorie days even easier
Although embarking on an 800-calorie diet can be a challenge at first, we have tried to make it as do-able as possible, offering filling recipes that are tasty and quick to cook.
The great thing about the Fast 800 programme is that it is highly flexible. It involves three phases: first, the rapid weight-loss phase, where you eat around 800–850cals a day for anything between 2 and 12 weeks; then the New 5:2, a less intensive, intermittent-fasting phase, where you eat 800 calories on just a few days a week; and, finally, the maintenance phase, where you continue with the tasty, healthy, Mediterranean-style way of eating, exercising portion control but not having to count calories.
How long you stay on any of these phases is up to you. It is a programme that you can tailor to your own needs and lifestyle. The rapid weight-loss phase, for example, will not suit everyone. Some prefer to skip this phase and go straight to the New 5:2. People also approach their fasting days in different ways. Some like to spread their 800 calories over three meals. Others find it easier to eat their calories over two, with a late morning brunch and an early evening meal. Likewise, some people prefer to consume up to half their calories as meal replacement shakes. Others want real food.
Whatever your chosen approach, there should be something here for everyone. The recipes are arranged according to meal types – breakfast, light bites, soups, main dishes (with meat, fish and meat-free options and sides) and even the occasional treat. Calorie counts have all been colour-coded to make it easy for you to put together your daily 800. Make use of the prep and cooking times – it really helps on your fasting days to be able to plan your eating in advance. That way, you are far less likely to succumb to temptation or end up snacking while you are cooking. And, to keep things as flexible as possible, there are lots of tips on how to adapt the food for non-fast days or when you are eating with friends or family (see page 242). Many of the recipes are also gluten-free and include some dairy-free and vegetarian swaps.
The Fast 800 is based on the best diet in the world
Unlike the sweet and highly processed diet adopted by the Western world over the last 50 years – which has been at great cost to our health – the Fast 800 is based on a lowish-carb, Mediterranean-style way of eating, which takes us closer to the unprocessed diets of our grandparents. Research has shown it to be one of the healthiest diets on the planet.
The Med-style diet is also one of the key reasons why the Fast 800 diet is so sustainable. Unlike a low-fat diet, with the Fast 800 you can enjoy plenty of olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish, as well as avocado, and some full-fat cheese or yoghurt – all the kinds of ingredients that make food tasty and filling.
While ‘lowish’ in carbohydrates, it is not a seriously restrictive diet, where you have to give up everything that contains carbs. However, it does mean cutting right back on sugary foods, as well as starchy carbs, such as white bread, white pasta, rice, cereals and potatoes, since these readily convert to sugars in your body.
Fortunately, the Med-style way of eating is also a great way to support your gut microbiome because it includes plenty of fibre. That’s why our recipes contain lots of tasty vegetables, some fruit, as well as some wholegrains, beans and lentils.
Incidentally, most cuisines can be adapted to the principles of the Med-style approach, whether it be Indian, Chinese or Nordic. In fact, the latter are now more likely to eat a moderately low-carb Mediterranean-style diet than the Italians themselves, who sadly have adopted a less healthy, more processed, Western diet, and their weight is soaring.
So, what’s out and what’s in?
For the past 50 years we have been told to keep our consumption of fat to a minimum for fear that it will block our arteries and cause a heart attack. To compensate for this, we were encouraged to eat at least a third of our calories as starchy carbohydrates.
Likewise, the official line has commonly been to eat three meals a day, with snacks between meals and before bed if we got hungry. As a result, many of us are eating six times a day, leaving our metabolism constantly battling to keep sugar levels in the normal range. And given that most of us eat more than we burn, these extra calories usually end up getting stored as fat.
However, the good news is that in the past decade there has been a whole body of exciting new research that has turned standard dietary advice on its head. Studies have shown that, unlike the widely advocated ‘slow and steady’ approach, rapid weight loss helps people lose weight faster, get closer to their goal and keep the weight off.
Combine 800 calories with the moderately low-carb, Mediterranean-style diet and you have a highly effective way to lose weight, restore blood sugars and re-set your metabolism.
What’s out
1 Starchy and processed foods
It is increasingly clear that we should avoid sweet, starchy and highly processed foods altogether. This is because the latter will undo much of the health benefit you get from eating healthily. You can chomp on as much broccoli, salad and beans as you want, but if you then eat a load of chips or processed snacks, these unhealthy foods will kill off many of the helpful microbes living in your gut microbiome. Be kind to these vital microbes and they will take care of you…
We describe the Fast 800 as a lowish-carbohydrate diet. This is because not all carbs are equal. Refined and starchy carbs, such as white bread or white rice, are very rapidly broken down, causing a spike in blood sugars and encouraging fat storage and weight gain. But not all carbs are bad. In contrast, more complex carbs, like wholegrains, beans or lentils, are slower to break down as they contain more fibre. As a result, they release less sugar and do so more slowly, leaving you feeling full for longer, while the fibre in them makes its way down to the large intestine, where those helpful microbes convert it into important substances that help keep you well.
2 Sugar – including hidden sugars
Sadly, we are surrounded by hidden sugars – they are found in all sorts of foods, including savoury snacks and takeaways, and can be very hard to spot. Check the ingredients in any ready-made convenience food, and the word ‘sugar’ may not appear at the top of the list, or indeed appear at all, despite it being included in significant quantities. Sugar often appears under alternative names, such as maltose, dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose – of which there are 50–60 variations, many of which you won’t even recognise. Add all these together and sugar can turn out to be the main ingredient.
Fruit, while it contains lots of health-promoting phytonutrients and fibre, is also a source of sugar. It’s far better to eat the whole fruit than to have it in the form of juice, as the juicing process removes the fibre and turns a healthy food, where the sugar is released slowly, into a sugar hit. Do include a portion or two of fruit a day, but try to make it a low-sugar variety, such as berries, rather than sweet tropical fruits.
Alcohol is another challenge – it behaves like sugar, breaking down rapidly and causing a sugar spike. A single glass of wine can contain between 200 and 300 calories and ends up stored in the liver as fat, causing inflammation. Spirits tend to contain slightly less sugar. But because alcohol disinhibits us, we are more likely to eat crisps or go for a takeaway when we’ve been drinking! So, for many reasons, we recommend moderation and to avoid alcohol on a fasting day.
3 Sweeteners
The trouble with sweeteners is that most of them damage the good microbes in your gut microbiome. Sweeteners are many times sweeter than sugar, which means that, regardless of their low-calorie content, they maintain your sweet tooth and can increase your sugar cravings. Luckily, whilst on the Fast 800 diet, you will find your tastes change and you can enjoy treats with far less sugar as your palate adapts.
We use dried and fresh fruit, such as dates, figs, bananas and apricots, as a natural sweetener in some recipes. Unlike sugar, which is empty calories, fruit adds fibre and a variety of important vitamins and nutrients.
If you really must have a little sweetener, particularly in the first week or two while you re-set your sweet tooth, then the best one to go for is probably Stevia.
And what’s in
1 Protein
It has become increasingly clear that protein is key to regulating your appetite and to your general health. Protein is required by every cell and organ in the body, including the immune system and brain. It maintains your muscle mass and metabolism, as well as helping you to feel full. However, your body is unable to store protein, and it isn’t able to tell you what you are lacking, so if you aren’t getting enough, you will feel hungry and are likely to go on eating until you have satisfied your body’s protein needs – and you may end up putting on weight.
It’s important to get enough on a daily basis: you should aim for 50g a day (slightly more than what has previously been recommended), and perhaps 10–20g on top of that, if you are older or very active. And it is particularly important when on an 800-calorie day to ensure you get the minimum requirement of protein if possible.
To help you do this, we have included the protein content in all our recipes, which are carefully calibrated to help give you adequate amounts. We also offer suggestions for how to add protein top-ups (see page 239), so that you can adapt salads or veg dishes according to your own taste. Getting enough protein can be challenging for vegetarians, and even more so for vegans, who might be advised to take protein supplements or use meal replacement shakes on 800-calorie days, or even to consider increasing their calories to over 1000.
Using good-quality, protein-rich, meal-replacement shakes (see thefast800.com for options) will also help on days when you have to rush out the door with an instant breakfast, or as an alternative to grabbing a sandwich and crisps for lunch.
2 Non-starchy veg
We know that there are numerous benefits to eating more veg. This includes an impressive 16 per cent reduction in the risk of having a stroke for every added portion. When you are trying to lose weight or control your blood sugars, it is best to stick to non-starchy vegetables, i.e. those that are lower in carbs and hidden sugars, such as spinach, cabbage and broccoli. And we encourage you to enjoy generous portions of these. Ideally, fill half your plate with steamed greens, salad, or any of the other vegetables on the list at the back of the book (see page 240). They are so low in calories that they can be eaten freely, without counting.
It’s fine to add a dressing or sauce to your veg, but do remember to include those added calories in your daily tally (see pages 60 and 240 for dressings and suggestions for how to add flavour without adding calories).
That said, adding a little olive oil to your non-starchy ‘free’ veg is actually beneficial, as it can improve the absorption of nutrients. This is particularly important when it comes to the absorption of the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. In the big scheme of things, a little drizzle of olive oil here and there is fine. The message is: don’t worry about occasional extra calories, if it helps you eat more veg…
And since we also know that variety is key to us getting the nutrients we need, you might take this opportunity to push the boat out and try new veg. By eating different phytonutrients (the health-promoting substances produced by plants), you will contribute to your metabolic health and to reducing inflammation. That’s why we are encouraged to ‘eat a rainbow’. Embrace as many different coloured vegetables as you can – red salad leaves, purple broccoli or beetroot, yellow capsicums, dark eggplants, as well as plenty of greens…
3 Fruit
Although fruit is a great source of important nutrients and fibre, go easy on it. Sweet fruits like mangoes and pineapple can be irresistible but they tend to put your sugar levels up. It is striking to see how often people with type 2 diabetes have been told to eat lots of fruit as part of their 5-a-day, when in fact grazing through the day on sweet fruits causes their blood sugars to spike and blocks any chance of fat burning.
Try to choose low-sugar fruits, particularly berries or hard fruit that contain plenty of fibre, such as apples or pears – and make sure you eat the skin, too, as that’s where most of the health-promoting nutrients are found.
Fruit is also best eaten either with a meal or straight after, rather than as a snack, when it’s more likely to spike sugars and be stored as fat.
4 Fibre
Most of us don’t get anywhere close to eating enough fibre – the average in the Western diet is about half of the required 30g a day. To get what your body requires, you need to eat seven or more portions of fruit and veg a day, as well as some wholegrains, beans and lentils.
On a fasting day it can be a challenge to get enough fibre, but you will find that you get to love your veg, and a suitable meal replacement shake can also provide a top-up.
5 Natural unprocessed fats, mainly plant-based
When it comes to choosing oils, the least processed the better. Try and go for cold-pressed or virgin oils, as they are unrefined and retain their natural nutrients – although they are more expensive, so buy what you can afford.
For frying at high temperatures, use a good-quality canola oil. Extra-virgin olive oil is good for gentle frying and ideal for salads. Coconut oil, a bit like butter, is fine in moderation. I like the flavour it can give to some stir-fries and curries, and it provides a slightly sweet and flavoured alternative for baking.
As part of a healthy, Mediterranean-style diet, there are plenty of other ‘good’ fats to be found in the likes of oily fish, such as mackerel and salmon, as well as nuts, all of which have been shown to lower your risk of stroke and heart disease.
6 Dairy
We include a fair amount of full-fat dairy in our recipes because the evidence suggests that in moderation this is beneficial – and does not, contrary to some reports, lead to diabetes. Fermented dairy is best and full-fat products are less processed. Full-fat Greek-style yoghurt, for example, doesn’t usually contain the starchy thickeners and sugars or sweeteners that are added to enhance low-fat products. We love the creamy richness of it.
7 Meat in moderation
Many of us are trying to eat less meat in general these days, particularly red meat, both for health and environmental reasons. But meat is an excellent source of good-quality protein and, as we have seen above, getting adequate protein can be a challenge on fasting days. So we have included a number of meat-based recipes here, as well as some veg-based ones that also contain small quantities of processed meat, such as bacon or chorizo, both to boost protein and add extra flavour. Try to buy better-quality, grass-fed varieties, if you can.
The Fast 800 – a quick recap
STAGE 1
Rapid weight loss
We recommend that you start with this intensive stage, if possible. By sticking to just over 800cals a day, every day, for at least two weeks, you will kickstart your weight loss and improve your metabolic health. Why 800? Because this is low enough to induce mild ketosis, which is associated with fat burning, but high enough to ensure you get the nutrients you need.
After two to three weeks, pause and reflect on how it is going. If you are losing weight and not struggling with the diet, then carry on. You can continue this approach until you reach your goal, or for up to 12 weeks.
For convenience, some people find it helpful during this stage to make up some of their meals as shakes. See page 30 for recipes, or visit thefast800.com, where you will find a range of ready-made meal replacement shakes with a Med-style formation and decent protein content to help fill the gap.
STAGE 2
Intermittent fasting with the New 5:2
When you get close to your target weight, or if you are struggling on the rapid weight loss stage, you can swap to an intermittent fasting pattern – eating 800cals on just a couple of days a week. Your weight loss rate will be slower on this regime, but it has been shown to be highly sustainable, and one of the most effective ways to lose weight and keep it off. We now recommend that, instead of reducing your calories to only 500–600, as in the original 5:2 Fast Diet, you stick to 800cals on fasting days.
STAGE 3
The maintenance programme
Once you’ve hit your goal, you can continue on the healthy Mediterranean way of eating, not calorie counting but exercising portion control. For this ‘maintenance phase’, you can go on using most of the recipes in this book; just double up portions, add extra protein (see page 239) and a few tablespoons of high-fibre, unrefined carbs, such as beans, lentils or wholegrains (see page 241), here and there and you are set for life.
You can enjoy the occasional treat, but try to maintain a diet low in sugar and moderately low in starchy carbs to help prevent sugars creeping up or weight piling back on. The message is: relax a bit, but not too much! If your weight increases or your new outfit starts to feel tight, you know what to do…
Adding in Time Restricted Eating
TRE is a form of fasting whereby you extend your overnight fast to restrict your eating window during the day. There is evidence that going 12 or even 14 hours overnight without food gives your body and metabolism a chance to recover and to focus on other functions, such as ‘spring-cleaning’ old and damaged cells and helping you switch from burning sugar to burning fat.
So how do you do this? Well, if you stop eating by 8pm and don’t start again till 8am – that is a 12-hour overnight fast (i.e. 12:12). You can then build up to a 14-hour fast, which means eating all your day’s food in a 10-hour window (14:10). Many people find that eating in a narrower window makes it easier to manage a fast day. Either way, it is a good habit for all of us to get into, as calories eaten within a few hours of bedtime are more likely to be stored as fat.
Getting started
1 Write down what you want to achieve.
Think about why you want to lose weight. What difference will it make? What changes do you want to see? And how important is it to you? What will success look and feel like?
Your personal goal may be to lose the weight around your middle; or to bring about a general improvement in your overall health, energy and mood. Reminding yourself about what motivates you will help keep you on track.
2 Kitchen hygiene. This isn’t about how clean and tidy your kitchen is. It means clearing away temptation, hiding (or even getting rid of) all convenience foods, snacks, biscuits, white bread or whatever your weaknesses are.
3 Tell people you are doing the diet. This helps you to hold yourself to account and increases commitment and success.
Side effects
Dehydration. The most commonly reported side effects are headaches, constipation, feeling light headed and fatigued. These are mainly due to not drinking enough added water. (For more on how to stay hydrated see page 22.) As for constipation, again, keeping well hydrated helps keep things soft – and make sure you are eating enough fibre-rich food. We try to include plenty of fibre in the recipes in the form of non-starchy vegetables and some beans, lentils and wholegrains.
Low blood pressure. Within days of embarking on a low-calorie diet like the Fast 800, you may see a drop in your blood pressure, which is a common benefit, but if you are on medication, particularly for blood pressure, or have a medical condition, it is important that you speak to your health professional before starting as your medication may need reducing (see below Exclusions and cautions).
Feeling rough at first. Flicking the metabolic switch so that your body goes from burning sugar to burning fat can leave you feeling a bit off-colour for a few days, whilst your body’s metabolism adapts. This is known as ‘keto flu’ and will pass within a matter of days. In fact, patients often tell me that they then feel better than they had done prior to starting the diet, with more energy, a sharper mind and fewer food cravings. Despite being on 800 calories, they find they are no longer hungry all the time. If your symptoms are severe or last longer than a week or so, it would be wise to discuss this with your health professional before continuing the diet. See thefast800.com for more information.
8 WAYS TO HELP YOU REACH YOUR GOAL
1 Avoid snacking between meals or late-night grazing. The trouble with snacking is that it reduces fat burning. If you must snack on a fasting day, eat a small portion of non-starchy veg, such as some sliced cucumber, broccoli or celery. Alternatively, try a few nuts (one portion is the amount that will sit on the palm of your hand) or a sliver of cheese.
2 Plan ahead. Willpower is fickle. Sometimes you have it, sometimes you don’t. So best to assume it doesn’t exist. Instead, plan to make things easier for yourself by ensuring that you have healthy, delicious alternatives to help you resist temptation. Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry and put any likely temptations out of sight (I have to hide milk chocolate from Michael) or, even better, just don’t have them in the house!
3 Enlist your friends and family to support you. Explain what you are doing and why; perhaps you are wanting to reduce your blood sugars, or just to lose the extra weight that has been creeping up on you for years. Whatever your motivation is, the more they understand what you are trying to achieve, the more they can support you. Be specific: ‘Please don’t offer me cake/another helping/ice cream…’
4 Add in TRE. This will enhance the effect of fasting on your weight loss and metabolic health (see page 16 for details).
5 Be more active. This is really important for your general health – switch the TV off, get up and go outside, walk more and try some strength-building exercises, as this increases your metabolic rate. A word of caution, though: while exercise is great for cardiovascular health, mood, strength and sleep, it is unfortunately a lousy way to lose weight. You need to run 36 miles to burn off a single pound of fat. So, go easy on the hard stuff at first, especially on fasting days – save that marathon training for a non-fast day, or when you are closer to your target weight or have finished the programme.
6 Get enough sleep. We are increasingly aware of the impact that poor and disrupted sleep has on our brain and mood, leaving us irritable, with even less willpower than usual, and far more inclined to crave sweet and starchy foods. On average, people tend to consume around 350 extra calories after a poor night’s sleep. Sleep deprivation creates a vicious cycle of weight gain, snoring and exhaustion. (See Michael’s recent book, Fast Asleep, for the full lowdown on why we sleep and how to get more of it.)
7 De-stress. Do this where you can, and try meditation. (The Fast 800 book has some great advice on this; or go to thefast800.com)
8 And if you fall off the wagon… Please be assured that all is not lost. We all have bad days when we return to unhealthy food choices, including my lovely husband! Just start again the next day. The sooner you get back on track, the better. Be kind to yourself, it’s just a blip.
FAQs
Does it matter if I eat 2 or 3 meals a day on a fast day? On the whole, it is probably easier to do 3 meals a day, but it’s a matter of what works for you. We would advise, however, that you don’t go down to one meal a day, particularly if it’s soon before retiring to bed, as your body is more likely to treat it as a feast and store more fat. See the meal plans on pages 244–8 for 2 or 3 meals a day.
Can I do it with shakes, too? Yes, absolutely. We take a pragmatic view of meal replacement shakes. Eating real food is best, but if you are dashing out in a hurry and grabbing toast and jam for breakfast, or snatching a processed starchy lunch on the hoof, good-quality shakes are definitely preferable. They give you the protein and nutrients you need, and leave you feeling full. Do choose carefully as many of those available are full of sugars and contain inadequate amounts of protein (see thefast800.com for suitable low-carb, Mediterranean-formula options).
Should I take multivitamins? Our recipes are carefully balanced to include all the nutrients you need, but on a low-calorie diet it is not always easy to combine your meals for maximum nutritional variety, so we recommend taking a good-quality multivitamin on your 800-calorie days as a back up.
What can I snack on? We would encourage you to avoid snacking between meals as this will stop fat-burning and may put sugars up. But if you must, nibble a small handful of nuts (unsweetened as they become very moreish otherwise!) or a few berries, or munch on a handful of non-starchy veg, such as carrots, cauliflower florets or celery. Alternatively, try a hot or cold drink to help keep hunger at bay (see suggestions on pages 22–3).
Can I exercise on a Fast 800 day? Doing more exercise helps us in lots of ways, including improving health and mood, but it’s not a good way to lose weight. If you are already doing exercise and feel comfortable sticking with it on a fasting day, carry on with your current regime. But don’t start a new, heavy programme or do endurance exercise on a fasting day.
For those of you who have not been regular exercisers, you will find that as you lose weight you will feel better and have more energy and can get more active. Remember, it’s not all about the gym. A lot of people surprise themselves and find they enjoy simple outdoor activities like walking or cycling.
Walking with brief brisk bursts of 30–60 seconds can be a great way to start. And adding in some strengthening exercises will increase your muscle mass and improve your metabolism.
I have lost weight but recently hit a plateau. What can I do? It is common for weight loss to happen in bursts. Initial weight loss can be deceptive, as early on it also includes fluid loss. But if you stick to 800 calories you are likely to go on losing weight. When the weight loss seems to stall, some people find adding in shakes as part of their daily quota on a fasting day can help. It’s also worth checking that you are still in the 800-calorie zone. However, we are all different and some people will find that their weight loss is slower.
Can I eat bread? When it comes to bread, it’s about choosing carefully, as white bread and a slice of seeded wholemeal sourdough are like chalk and cheese. You can occasionally have a thin slice of wholegrain, seeded or sourdough bread on a non-fast day, but try to avoid it on a fasting day. When you are buying bread, try to make sure the fibre content is higher than 7g in 100g.
Will I feel hungry all the time? For the first few days you are likely to feel hungry, but most people find that this settles as their metabolism re-sets. My patients often tell me how surprised they are that, despite such a dramatic drop in their daily calorie intake, within a week or two, they are no longer hungry all the time.
Is it expensive? Our calculations of a random sample of fasting-day recipes show the food to be affordable and likely to be cheaper.
Should I tell my doctor/health professional that I am doing a low-calorie diet? It is always a good idea to keep your health professional informed about a major change to your diet, particularly if you have a medical condition and/or are on medication (see Exclusions and cautions on page 18). It may help to print out a letter advising them about the diet, so they can monitor and support you in the process. This can be found at thefast800.com/healthcare-professionals. Most health professionals will be aware of the 800-calorie approach and will be supportive.
Some useful tools and tricks
A tape-measure for measuring your waist and neck, and a set of scales; you might also consider investing in a blood pressure monitor.
Keto stix (a urine dipstick to measure if you are in nutritional ketosis – i.e. burning ketones from fat instead of burning sugar); these can be helpful at first or if you hit a plateau. Please note that ketosis reduces after a few weeks, but weight loss continues, although at a slower rate.
A diet journal – studies have shown that keeping a food diary can be hugely helpful when you are trying to lose weight. Try our book The Fast 800 Health Journal to help monitor your progress and to keep yourself motivated.
Cooking equipment – minimal! A stick blender, some digital kitchen scales, a set of measuring spoons, a small and medium saucepan, a flameproof casserole with well-fitting lid, a wide frying pan or wok, a metal baking tray, baking dish (optional), medium bowl, vegetable peeler, spiralizer (optional) and a good sharp knife.
Hydration
Good hydration with minimal calories
Most of us fail to drink enough fluid. But keeping well hydrated is especially important on a fasting day as you are taking in less liquid with food and losing fluid when you burn fat. As a result, it’s easy to get dehydrated, leaving you feeling exhausted, feeble, light-headed or suffering headaches.
On a fasting day you should drink an extra 1–1.5 litres of calorie-free fluids, mainly as water (and more if you are very active or the weather is hot). Sipping fluids can also distract you from cravings and reduce hunger between meals.
Do avoid drinks with sweeteners, as they can upset the good bugs in your gut; they are also likely to maintain your sweet tooth, as they are so many times sweeter than sugar and can leave you feeling hungrier.
Here are some lovely ways to add flavour without significant calories – drinks that can be enjoyed any time, and will not interfere with fat burning.
Cold refreshing drinks
We like water and drink it straight from the tap or filtered, and keep a bottle of water in the fridge. If you are inclined to forget to increase your fluid intake, try keeping a jug or bottle in the kitchen or at work – one that needs to be finished by the end of the day. Or carry a bottle with you. If you are not a fan of plain water, here’s how you can make it more enticing:
Drink carbonated water for a bit of fizz.
For added flavour, put in a few berries or some fresh herbs, like mint, rosemary or thyme.
Or you might add a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime, and drop a twist into the bottle.
A slice or two of cucumber or zucchini looks and tastes refreshing.
For a stronger brew, keep a bottle of cooled fruit or herbal tea in the fridge.
Hot comforting drinks
Try to avoid putting milk in your tea or coffee between meals, as this adds calories and interferes with fat-burning – although, straight after a meal, a dash of milk in your drink is OK. Between meals try taking your tea with a squeeze of lemon or drink black coffee.
For variety, try sipping fruit teas. Or make your own herbal infusions, adding a handful of fresh herbs, such as mint, thyme or sage, to boiled water.
I’m a big fan of mint tea, with its smooth feel and sweet scent. Mint grows wild in the garden or you can keep it in a pot and harvest the larger leaves. Steep some leaves in hot water for 5 minutes. A generous handful of mint leaves contains a surprising amount of nutrients, including iron, vitamin and antioxidants, which may help protect your cells from damage. Peppermint is also thought to improve digestion.
Green tea, meanwhile, has been shown to be one of the healthiest drinks on the planet. Thanks mainly to its antioxidant properties, it is thought to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve brain function, protect against some cancers, as well as support weight loss.
However, green tea is an acquired taste, as it can be slightly bitter (that is part of what makes it so beneficial). We like to drink green tea with some finely sliced fresh root ginger (1cm unpeeled) and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon stirred in to add a delicate sweetness. Allow the tea leaves and ginger to steep for 3–5 minutes, then remove them before you drink.
Tips for using this book
Calorie counts: These refer to one individual serving, unless stated otherwise. That said, please be aware that we include calorie counts as a rough guide only. There are significant variations between different nutritionists, counters and apps, so don’t be too concerned by a few extra calories here or there.
To increase non-starchy veg eating and reduce calorie counting, we encourage you to enjoy these low-calorie foods without counting calories. Pile half your plate with ‘free’ vegetables, such as leafy greens, salad leaves or celery, which have minimal calories but huge nutritional benefits (see page 240 for non-starchy greens and veg). Unless, of course, you want to add a dressing or a teaspoonful of extra-virgin olive oil – in which case, see page 240 for calories.
Suggestions for non-fast days: We offer plenty of tips if you are on the New 5:2 or have moved on to a maintenance stage to adapt the recipes to make them more substantial (see page 244). These might involve simply increasing or doubling the portion size, or adding a few tablespoons of brown rice or lentils, an extra glug of olive oil, a slice of seeded bread or extra vegetables.
Make the recipes suit you: These recipes are based on a Mediterranean way of eating, but can be adapted to fit different cuisines and tastes. Feel free to adjust them by using alternative flavours, or adding different herbs and spices – all of which have minimal impact on calories. The tastier and more satisfying your food, the more likely you are to stick to this way of eating.