Reset Your Health For 2021

Whether your goal is to shed a few COVID kilos or simply feel better all-round, Dr Michael Mosley of The Fast 800 diet reveals how you can start the year on track

- Christian Peacock

WHAT IS THE FAST 800 DIET?

After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes seven years ago, I began researching the benefits of intermittent fasting that led me to create the hugely popular 5:2 diet. The Fast 800 is a new and improved version of the 5:2 diet. We encourage intermittent fasting, a Mediterranean-style diet and a three-stage approach to create a plan that works for individual circumstances.

The Fast 800 is based on a lot of careful research carried out in major universities around the world. It’s a safe and effective way to help people lose weight, fast, as well as reduce high blood sugar levels and improve overall health.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

We encourage those who are suitable to start on the intensive phase – The Very Fast 800. This is where you eat about 800 calories per day, every day, and you do that for four to 12 weeks, depending how much weight you have to lose. After that, we recommend you switch to the New 5:2, where you limit your calories to 800 for just two days a week. The third and final stage is the Way of Life. This is not a calorie-restricted phase, it just involves eating a Mediterranean-style diet (like all phases) and is designed to help you maintain your weight loss.

IS IT DIFFICULT?