I was diagnosed as pre diabetic six weeks ago, the doctor and myself decided I would try the eight week 800 calorie diet, the first few days were awful and I didn’t think I could carry on, however I persisted, I am sugar addicted. I am at the end of my fifth week and have lost just over 14 lb I am now only losing about 4 oz a day and I am always cold and hungry, I drink a lot of water as I can’t drink hot drinks with no sugar in, my worry is what do I do when I finish the eight weeks? I want to lose at least 28lb I can’t see me losing another 14lb so the question is do I carry on with the 800 calories after the eight weeks?

Hi. Congratulations on losing 14 pounds.

I asked the team that question when I was coming to the end of the 8 weeks. They said it was ok to continue on 800 calories for another few weeks as long as I felt OK and had no problems. But then to transfer to 5:2.

Like you I had more weight to lose so continued on 800 for a weeks. Just had a week on holiday eating low carb and now back on 800. Lots of folk on here seem to be staying on 800 if they have more weight to lose, others going on 5:2 or a variation of it.

Hope this helps.

Thank you captainlynne, I am going to try and eat a low carb Mediterranean type food while on holiday then when I come home eat some 800 calorie days and some ‘normal’ Mediterranean days having read your post and sleeping on it. I feel I need to get back to drinking tea and coffee, however can’t stand either without sugar, would truvia sugar substitute be ok? I also have a lot of skimmed milk in hot drinks, I also have osteoporosis so feel I need the extra calcium.
Can anyone who has done the eight weeks and gone back to eating normally, or 5-2 tell me if they put any weight back on and if so how much? I think I am still a bit worried about putting the weight back on!

Hi Christi

Just wanted to pick up on your comment that you are always cold and hungry. Have you had your thyroid tested? One of the symptoms is being cold all the time, as is difficulty in losing weight. Are you sticking to the low carb element of the plan? I ask because hunger is something that typically dissipates a lot on this diet due to the restriction of carbs. Are there any foods you could be eating that you don’t realise have more carbs than you thought? Also, maybe after five weeks of having virtually no sugar you might find your taste buds have realigned and you could face a hot drink of some kind without sugar?

Another way to look at this kind of diet (when you have finished the 8 weeks) is to count the carbs rather than the calories. By doing this, you can eat more of the things that don’t have carbs in them such as meat, fish, eggs, oils. A website I found that offers this kind of plan for people with diabetes is called diet doctor and the principles are the same as for the 800 diet.

Hi Janet 1973 I am doing the diet that was in the daily mail its gives you all the meals for the for weeks re-doing them for the next for weeks, I have had no carbs at all for the five weeks that I have been on the diet, the only thing I have had that is not on the diet is a sugarless tea morning and last thing, ( still don’t like it but it’s warm!) also have to take certain medication. On the subject of thyroid I have had it tested a couple of times and the only thing the doctors have said is that it’s just ok! Whatever that means, my mum had thyroid problems, so I feel I need to keep an eye on it, especially as the doctor is a bit cagey? about my thyroid, one doctor two years ago said it was on the cusp? As you can imagine I am a bit suspicious about the results.
I do seem to have trouble losing weight, before this diet, I hardly ate any pasta, rice, potatoes or bread, however give me a cake or chocolate and I was sunk, even though we tried to restrict them to weekends, so I am my own worst enemy, on the plus side most of the meals are really tasty even hubby and daughter enjoy them, (they are also losing a bit of weight) thanks for the advise etc much appreciated

Feeling very despondent today I haven’t lost any weight over the weekend, still done the diet strictly except on Sunday had an apple before going to church, (can’t get through to 1pm without something to eat) also having terrible hunger problems, again I am sticking strictly to the diet, after mass yesterday they had the big brew with fairtrade, croissants and toast with fairtraid preserves, it was awful seeing everyone enjoying breakfast. I still kept to my diet though, I know the one thing I need to do and that is excercise more! I hate excercise so need to walk to the village and back for shopping! Sorry for the grumpy post just wanted to sound off!

Stick with it Christi, we all experience small plateaus, it’s just your body readjusting.
A lot of folk report that, even though they didn’t lose weight over a period of time, they did still lose inches.
How about you ?

Thanks bill, I know I will lose the weight eventually, I think I feel a bit down too because I tried on some of my summer clothes, which I had saved as they are a size smaller, and nothing fit! I have lost 16lb and seven inches off my waist, however nothing anywhere else, I know that’s where the fat is supposed to drop off first plus the bad fat round your organs, I’m just being grumpy I know, it’s just a bit demoralising when nothing seems to be going your way! Thanks for the support though, very much appreciated

Hey Christi 16 pounds weight loss is nothing to be upset about.
Reading through the forums over the last few weeks it looks like it’s all a bit stop / start, ie no weight loss for 3 days then 3lb gone or no reduction is size for a fortnight then suddenly you have dropped a size or 2
You know in your own mind that if you keep the carbs down and stick to 800 cals a day then you have to lose weight. Hoping your next post sees you feeling much happier.

Hi bill1954,
Ah thank you so much, I feel better tonight, I feel warmer, and we walked into the village today, did some shopping and walked back, 45 minutes so hopefully I will have lost a bit more, now it’s getting lighter nights and (hopefully) warmer too I can get more walking in, hope alls going in the right direction for you too?