Hi guys!!
Im new here. I have been keeping the 800kcal diet for two weeks now. I also combine it with 16:8. So I fast during 16 h and eat my 800 kcal during 8 h. In the book the fast 800 michael writes that you could lose 4 kilos in two weeks. Is that if you have alot of weight to lose or does anyone know how it works? I think the kcal intake and the fasting goes quite easy. I cheated a couple of times but have never gone over 1300 kcal so my kcal intake has been really low. I think I should have lost more weight to be honest. I only lost like 1 kilo in two weeks.
Beginner and pardon my english 😊😊
Thankful for any advice!

Hi there marre79, You are right that people who have a lot to lose are more likely to be in the 4kg in 2 weeks although you want to lose 15kg so you could still have good losses. I hate to say this but you cant expect to have great losses if you are not sticking with it all the time. There is a science to losing weight. When you are on a diet you firstly lose fluids, especially if you are going low carb too (you dont say). So the first big loss is fluid which is easily replaced when you dont stick with it. Secondly, because you have been on a lower cal diet than your body is used to as soon as you go over and eat more your body hangs on to it for grim death as it is expecting starvation. Add to that, the extra calories might be of the wrong food and will start also cause the body to start storing fluids again.

It is not easy and not everyone can do it. What is your motivation, is it just weight loss. Try to set yourself a 2 week goal when you stick with this completely. Also, I am not a fasting fan so you can ignore this if you want. Fasting at the beginning of the plan sounds like compensating for your overeating days and it simply doesnt work like that. Give your body a chance to adjust to the 800 calorie plan first, ask questions and read some of the threads and try to stick with it before you start messing with it. That is not a criticism, it is hard for all of us when we first started and we still make mistakes. Hope your English can understand what I have said. I know the problems. I speak English but live in France and speak French but it is very difficult. lycka till.

Can I also say that if you want to have days when you exceed your calories you will still lose weight because, as you say, 1300 is still quite low. But as you have already seen, the loss will be a lot slower than you were expecting. I guess you wanted fast weight loss and that is why you chose this diet, but you have to stick to it.

Thank you so much for your reply! Yes I guess I havet been 100% strict. I try to eat low carb but not super low. I still eat protein bread and some potatoes, sometimes. I will try to cut them down even more. Maybe I should ignore the fasting right now as you say and focus on the 800 kcal. The thing is that I dont know how to think about the fat. Healthy fats make you lose fat but they also contain alot of kcal. So avocado, Olive oil and so on, things that makes you feel fuller also makes you reach the 800 in no time. Maybe I shoud focus on protein and greens at first? I only weigh 71 kilos but want to go down to 55 kg since Im not that tall 😊
I excercise a few times a week. Taking walks or go to the gym. Do you know? For example…. If I burn 400 kcal at the gym? Should I eat those kcal? If I dont I only have 400 that day.
-Maria

Hi marre, glad you are still here as sometimes when you advise people they just disappear, maybe there was something they didnt want to hear. But you are still here with us so that is a big plus. Okay, now you know you have to seriously cut the carbs, have you tried alternatives – and I dont mean things that claim to be low carb but are processed or swapping potato for sweet potato (big mistake) or white rice/pasta for brown, but if you feel there is something missing from your plate. Try vegetables in different ways,, cauliflower rice, courgette spaghetti, courgette or cauliflower fritters are just a few but there are loads.

So you are worried about the calories in fats. First of all I think you have got your head round that certain fats are really good for you. Yes they are high in calories and have to be used sparingly and not too often. I always equate it with when I was eating bread or potatoes a big dollop of butter is often needed but on this diet I dont eat bread or pots so I dont have that need for butter. When I use butter it is to make scrambled eggs and I just use a bit to grease the pan. Calculation: 7 days of sandwiches (bread) and 3 days with mashed potatoes = 165g butter per week – calculated at 15g per sandwich and 20g per mash dish. Scrambled egg twice a week 30g butter per week. See how that works out. Okay, oils. If you were eating none BSD you would use oil for browning meat, etc just use a little less and use something like rapeseed oil – great for good cholesterols – rather than veg oils. On BSD you are still using a smaller amount so you havent done any damage. Avocados I tend to have once or twice a month, nuts are dangerous but if you just have a few each day and measure them out rather than dipping into the bag you will have a few more calories but getting lots of cholesterol fighting goodness. Avoid cachous as they are high in sugars. So fats are good but watch out for the calories and keep them within limits. Just a word about cholesterol. I was a low fat low calorie freak and still have really high cholesterol levels. Went on this diet and my cholesterol level is better than good and I have stopped taking statins – so good fats lead to good cholesterol.

Finally, before I bore you to death. Do not eat anything that says LOW FAT to reduce your fat calories – they contain chemicals which upset your metabolism and, believe it or not, they contain pure carbs like rice or potato flour. If you can cope with me writing a book each time please feel free to come back with any other questions.

Haha. No I really appreciate you responding since I really want to learn what works and what doesnt 😊
What are your thoughts about the excersice issue I brought up? If I burn 400 kcal of the 800 I eat in a day? Should I add 400 more that day?
-Maria

Simple answer is NO NO NO you cannot increase your calorie intake to compensate. Calories burnt from exercise dont work like those you eat. It is false that there is a simple equation that says calories in calories out. The body doesnt work like that. If you are feeling weak because of low calories then skip the exercise or do something lighter. Also, exercise doesnt really help you lose weight but it is fantastic for other things like heart health, muscle tone, brain clearing, psychological wellbeing etc. I find doing exercise helps me feel better in and about myself. Your body will get used to doing the exercise on less calories because it will start burning up fat stores rather than carb stores and you will get back into it. You can also time your exercise so you are not hungry when you do it. There is a science to losing weight and it is explained in a book called Why We Get Fat And What To Do About It by Gary Taubes. Although he gives some good explanations but I find his book a bit too heavy but there are people on here who can explain that science to you more simply. Do a search in the box at the r/h top of the page looking for key words like calories and exercise. There is lots there.
Have a great week.

P.S. I dont think so, but do you have any medical problems or medications that should be considered when we are giving you advice.