What is the fast 800 diet? Stages, foods, other health benefits, safety!

The fast 800 is a popular diet for fast weight loss. It is as famous as the 5:2 diet and intermittent fasting to fix excess body fats. What is this diet? What foods are allowed? And which foods are restricted? Is it effective? Are there any other health benefits with it? Is it safe? And what are its side effects?

The fast 800 diet

The fast 800 diet is a quick weight loss diet. It has a reputation similar to that of the 16:8 diet. In this diet plan, the daily calories are restricted to 800 calories. Dr. Michael Mosley states that the dieter can lose as much as 11 lbs in just two weeks with proper adherence to this diet. He opines:

“Eating well doesn’t just help you lose weight. Good food can boost your immune system(opens in new tab), give you energy and even impact your mood.”

After the calories restriction phase, the dieter switches to the 5:2 diet. In this, the restriction is only for two days a week. The other 5 days, he or she can eat normally. In this time, the preferred diet should be Mediterranean diet with portion control.

Some may find the first phase of two weeks very intensive. They can directly start with 5:2 diet. But NHS warns that one should not restrict calories to 800 calories for more than 12 weeks. And the diet should be nutritionally complete.

Diet foods in stage 2

When the dieter completes phase 1 of two weeks, he or she can have normal foods after that. However, these should be more of home made foods. Avoid processed foods. One can eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, fiber rich foods, fatty fish, and full-fat milk.

Also, avoid sugary foods and drinks, refined carbs, and starchy vegetables. Avoid white bread and white pasta. Have at least 45 to 60 g of lean protein daily.

In this stage, body enters into ketosis in two days. And this helps fat burning. This leads to better insulin response. Other benefits are tissue regeneration, removal of damaged cells, reduced inflammation, less risk of cancer and more metabolic rate.

Stage 3 of the diet

This is the maintenance phase. By this time, you have reached your desired weight goal. During this phase, continue to consume nutrient dense foods. But do not have more of sugary foods or drinks. Have moderate amounts of carbs and eat Mediterranean style foods. Dr. Michael praises the Mediterranean diet:

“The Mediterranean diet is the healthiest diet on the planet. There is this perception that Italian food is predominantly pasta and pizza, but this is not true. It’s actually packed with fruit, vegetables, nuts, olive oil and fish – all of which are good for you and have been proven to help prevent dementia, strokes, cardiovascular disease, heart disease and has even in some cases, been known to reverse type 2 diabetes.”

Also, read Mediterranean style diet: The healthy diet pattern your favorite celebrities are in love with!

This diet involves lots of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats. One should eat fish, poultry, beans and eggs once weekly. And they can have moderate quantities of dairy products. But red meat intake should be low.