Hi everyone, this is my first post. It seems like a lovely group of people:-)
I started the diet 8 days ago. I lost 7lbs in the first 4 days but have not lost for the last three days so im starting to wonder if im doing something wrong??
I exercise quite a lot (I cycle to work (20 miles a week) and run a couple of times (10 miles per week)) and colleagues at work have said i shouldnt be cutting down to 800 cals if i burn off quite a lot in exercise and thats why im not loosing?? Not sure whether I should eat a bit more if i exercise to loose weight? Doesnt seem logical to me but just checking whether i am doing something wrong as im really dissappointed with the last 3 days. I need to loose around between 1.5 and 2 stone so i have a fair way to go.
thanks so much if anyone has any wisdom xxx

Hi Emily, in terms of the big losses on this diet you are a skinny minx as some of the people are around 200 lbs or more so don’t judge yourself by what you read everyone else is doing. You lost 7 lbs in the first 4 days so that is a great start. Now dont mind me saying but after a few days sometimes things creep in, the odd slice of bread, or biscuit or too much fruit. If you are 100% sure you are 100% strict then you might just have hit your plateau. Can you imagine what your body is thinking – if it could – hey where the hell has that half a stone (yes half a stone) gone, I need to hold back for a while until I sort out what is happening to me. That is a plateau. The weight loss will start again in a few days, and dont forget, during the diet this will happen several times while our bodies adjust.

As for the exercise, if you are on the 800 cals you should not eat more, just eat better. Make sure you are getting good fats from things like olive oil, nuts, avocados etc and you are allowed butter and cheese and full fat yoghurts. You are not diabetic so you dont have to worry about going into hypo state, the worst thing that can happen is you might feel weaker and not be able to do quite as much. This will settle when you are used to the 800 cals. I have learnt to time my exercise so I have eaten close to doing it instead of starting half empty. Also carry a few nuts and seeds with you in case you do start to flag. I mainly exercise to suit the diet not change the diet – or I would be on something else not the 800. Do keep going but if it gets too much you could try 5:2 or the Med but don’t be defeatist yet. Good luck.

EmilyD – great advice from Sunshine Girl.

Thanks both. I think i may have sneaked in some extra calories and hence not been loosing as quickly. I have now lost 9 lbs in 13 days. I am hoping to carry on loosing 4 or more lbs a week and need to be strict to acheive this.
Great advice above – much appreciated xx

Even the good losers like myself rarely did more than three pounds a week after the initial water drop off. I seem to remember it averaged almost exactly 1 kg a week. Still reached almost two stone off after 8 weeks though. If you exercise a lot more than me it may drop faster but 4 pounds a week is 14,000 less calories taken in than you use, which is quite extreme in a week.