Hi just started fast800 diet and on day 3 here. Ive noticed i feel much colder since starting the diet and even wearing 3-4 layers doenat help! Is it normal to feel cold at the start? Is skimmed milk ok to have in tea or coffee? How many carbs do folk have? Im aiming at having 50g a day.

Hi Fatboyslim

I did just post so ignore if this appears twice!

I too felt very very cold to start with, layers weren’t helping! The only thing that helped was lots of hot showers and lots of warm drinks like herbal tea! It’s got easier but I’m still colder than I normally would be but it’s to do with having less calories for energy hence heat. Some people on here also suggest upping cardio exercise to help with it – I didn’t because I hate cardio! But if you search “feeling cold” in the search bar there’s loads of people who’ve had similar experiences and they may have other tips.

With regards the milk, I can only speak for myself here, I drink skimmed and semi skimmed milk, or even non-dairy like almond or coconut milk because I LOATHE full fat milk, although the general principles of the way of eating suggests full fat dairy – I eat full fat cheese and yoghurt, just can’t abide full fat milk! I literally only have a dash in tea or coffee and rarely at all as I prefer it black to be honest but the key is to make sure you measure it – many people think a “dash” in their tea is barely anything but can actually be 50ml + and that adds up. Be aware as well that milk contains hidden carbs (lactose = sugar) but as long as you’re measuring and counting in a 800 cal day then it’s fine

If you are also combining Fast800 with time restricted eating – sometimes called intermittent fasting – where you only eat your calories in a certain number of hours and “fast” the rest of the time, technically milk would break your fast so stick to black tea/coffee, water and herbal tea in those hours. Of course ignore that if you aren’t also doing time restricted eating!

Finally grams of carbs. There’s a lot of discussion and debate on this forum where people have done lots of research, and there are several figures given, however a lot of people start at 50g and see how it goes, and if not losing weight or going into ketosis, then they adjust down. There are many people on here who are eating very nice meals on <20g carbs a day which pretty much guarantees ketosis and overcomes issues with insulin resistance, but it’s not easy – I’ve been dabbling with it the last few weeks and although I’ve managed it it has been very tough thinking what to eat so I would advise to start with to just try 50g or thereabouts and get used to the principles first and then worry about the carb level in a couple of weeks!

Many people actually find it easiest to ease into this, so first of all just get rid of refined carbs like bread, pasta and rice, and don’t worry too much about calories, then reduce the calories and then focus on the macros of fat, protein and carbs. That’s an approach many use but equally lots of people just dive straight in! If you suffer from carb withdrawal symptoms (sometimes called keto flu) you can try upping your water intake but also up your salt intake – just a pinch every now and then, helps balance the lost electrolytes which go with the lost fluid which is the first big “loss” (as carb is stored in the body with water so as the stored carbs get used you lose the water weight).

Final notes be aware of hidden carbs like tomatoes, some veg like peppers, cheese, milk, nuts, etc.

Lauren x

Fatboy, welcome to your new way of eating. People find their bodies can have a number of reactions when swapping to this eating plan, but largely averse affects are transitory. Skimmed milk is okay, but remember to record it all and account for it in your daily calorie allowance … and carbs if you are counting those. The number of carbs you can consume and still see the pounds drop, varies person to person, but 50g a day is a good place to start, you can always tweak it later on if necessary.

Why not consider joining in on the weekly thread? It’s a great place to gain advice and support, populated as it is by a cast if established BSDers as well as those just beginning. It’s a friendly crowd and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome, so just jump in if you’d like company on your BSD journey.

Just done two weeks on fast800 and have lost 7lbs so happy so far.