I have just started the 800 cal diet and I am finding that some of the recipes in Dr Mosley’s book seem to be missing some detail. For example in the Simple Suppers section – 5 Ways to Jazz up a Chicken or salmon steak- does the calorie count include the chicken or is the count just for the toppings? Also how much chicken do you use. Other recipes just say “a chicken breast”. Surely the size of the chicken breast would affect the amount of calories. Also some recipes just say yoghurt- is that full fat yogurt of any type? I also noticed that many people seem to be using recipes from elsewhere to make up the 800 calories. an anyone suggest another good recipe book that would fit the bill for this diet?

Hi Bella 51,
I’ve checked the counts for those recipes and it is just for the toppings. I guess you would have to weigh the chicken and work out the calories. The app I use shows a 300g chicken breast, baked with skin eaten as 560 cal, take off 100 cals if you don’t eat the skin. I don’t eat meat but 300g sounds like a lot to me.
The yoghurt would be the full fat natural ( plain) one. Michael does advocate using full fat dairy. It keeps you full longer and doesn’t have added sugars.
If you use a calorie/ carb counter such as an app or device to track your intake you can use your own recipes. You just have to keep within the allowance and swap high carb ingredients to a low carb substitute. So for example if you wanted a shepherds pie you could substitute the mashed potato on top for cauliflower mashed with butter. Courgetti instead of pasta in a bolognaise and so on. Browse through the recipes on here, they all should have a calorie count and an indication of what they are suitable for.
Read through some of the other posts for ideas of what other people are eating. Keep posting on here if you have any questions. Everyone wants you to succeed at this, so you’ll get plenty of help.

Hi Cherrianne
Thank you for your really helpful response. It is good to know that I can get answers to my questions re the diet so quickly and that there are people out there happy to help a beginner like me. I will definitely look for calorie/carb counter app to help me find some alternate recipes and track my intake as you say. Is there one in particular that you would recommend? I have an android phone and a Mac computer.

Hi Bella,
I live in Australia so I’m not sure if the one I use is available in the UK ( assuming that’s where you are ). I use one called Australian easy diet diary, which is free from the apple store. There must be something similar in the UK. You can enter your current and goal weights, and your target energy intake. It also has a daily diary where you enter your food and it tracks totals of calories, carbs proteins etc. you can look up cal and carb values on it and type in recipes and it will give you the values per serve. It is really useful. Somebody will no doubt read this and be able to let you know of a good one. Or you could have a look on the net and see which ones are best suited to you and the device you want to install them on.
There are plenty of people on here willing to help, we want everyone to succeed 🙂

Hi Cherrianne
I’m an aussie too living in Australia. I found the app you suggested and it looks excellent- just what I was looking for. Thanks again for your help and support.

No worries Bella, I use the recipe section all the time when I want to make something so I can get the totals. Then I either adjust the serving size or add/ substitute ingredients until I get the desired amount.
You can see at a glance how much you have left to ‘spend’ on a meal or snack.
It’s been invaluable to me and has helped me to be much more mindful of the ‘carb cost’ of certain foods.
Hope it helps you as much as it does me 🙂