The Fast 800 Diet - My first 4 weeks
The Fast 800 Diet transformed my weight and my life. I lost 20kgs in 20 weeks (and counting!) and went from tired and overweight to slim and energised following a simple eating plan that is easy to fit into my busy schedule.
I want to take you back to the beginning and share the first 4 weeks of my Fast 800 journey, the lessons I learnt and answer some of the questions I’m often asked by my Fast 800 Mama community.
I hope I can help some of you achieve the results I’ve experienced too!
Let’s dive in.
I had no energy, I never lost the baby weight after having kids and I was sick and tired...of being sick and tired. I tried SO MANY DIETS but nothing stuck.
Does my ‘before’ sound familiar?
Before starting on the Fast 800 I was SO tired ALL the time and really uncomfortable in every piece of clothing I owned - other than my old maternity wear. In January 2019 I’d reached the heaviest weight I've ever been.
I’d reached breaking point and something had to change.
My first week on the Fast 800 (the hardest week!)
85.2kg starting weight
My mother-in-law told me about the Fast 800 plan on a Friday and I brought it on Google Books that night! I skimmed through for the key info I needed to get started - basically limiting my intake to 800 calories and eating meals within a 10-hour window - and began on the Sunday.
The first week was definitely the hardest!
I struggled to sleep properly, was moody, hungry (read: hangry!) and the headaches started about day 3.
I was going to the toilet all the time because of the amount of water I was drinking! It’s a bit of an adjustment in the first few weeks, drinking that much water but keep it up because it really does help.
My husband and I had a date night that first week (a degustation meal) so I fasted during the day, then had a boiled egg and (more!) water beforehand. This satisfied me enough that I didn’t act like a starving animal during the meal!
I also started my Instagram account, fast800mama in the first week to track my progress and also have something to refer to if I needed to remind myself what I did to lose the weight.
I had no idea it would blossom into such an amazing, supportive community.
Week one I had an awesome weight loss, around 3.5kgs bringing me to 81.8kg
My goal: 9kg loss in 4 weeks (I almost made it!)
Week 2
Week 2 was a lot easier. I had more energy but had the hangry feelings still stuck around. Turns out I wasn’t eating enough protein - more on that below.
I finished week 2 at 79.7kg
Week 3
In week three, I'd set some goals to fit in three to five exercise sessions that week.
I also introduced some of the other aspects of The Fast 800 Diet like practising mindfulness and meditation. I did one or two meditations and got in 3 exercise sessions - the weight loss in week 3 was really good!
I did have one day of weight gain in week 3, around 200 grams but wasn’t too bothered by it. If you get discouraged easily, I recommend not weighing yourself every day.
I finished week 3 at 77.8kg
Week 4
Week 4 I was feeling so energetic and if I hadn’t moved around enough during the day, I felt so energised I couldn’t sleep.
I had the stomach flu-like a virus from Wednesday (yuck!) of week 4 so I was mainly eating toast with tahini and drinking coconut water for the electrolytes. I tried to stay within the 800 calories but I did go over a couple of days. I wasn’t worried though because my priority was looking after myself and shaking off the virus.
The hungry feelings disappeared in week 4 and I didn’t find myself battling cravings like I did in the first few weeks.
I finished week 4 at 76.5kg
My goal was a 9kg weight loss in 4 weeks. When I weighed myself on the last Sunday (4 weeks since I started) I was at 8.7kg loss BUT I hit 9kg loss the next day!
I felt super happy with my efforts and motivated to keep going.
Lessons from the first 4 weeks
Protein
I realised in week two if I didn't get enough protein, the following day I was really tired and lethargic.
Since then, I've been trying to eat the recommended 50 grams of protein daily, although I don’t always get there. If I'm getting 30 grams and above, I'm really happy and as long as I'm feeling good and listening to my body and I've got the energy, I'm pretty happy with that. Some days I do get 60 grams of protein.
Calorie tracking
I wouldn’t begin eating until I'd weighed out my portions. I did it so I could enjoy my meal. I didn’t want to be eating and stressing how many calories I was eating.
Without weighing your food, there's no real way of telling how many calories you ate and you’ll always be guessing.
Questions I’m asked all the time
I get a bunch of questions via email and Facebook (follow me here) and wanted to cover a few of the common questions I’m asked.
What calorie tracker do I use?
I use the MyFitnessPal app. If you don’t have the premium version, you can change it to 800 calories. I also weigh my food at every meal.
Do I weigh myself daily?
Yes. As I mentioned, if you're someone who is easily unmotivated or discouraged, I wouldn't weigh yourself daily. I would do it weekly. Find what works for you; you need to set yourself up for success. You don't want to be weighing yourself daily and getting discouraged every day.
Do I have cravings?
Not anymore! When I make things for the kids, I won't nibble away and when we're out and there’s stuff that used to tempt me - biscuits etc - I won't eat them either.
What type of coffee do I drink?
To reduce calories, I tried coffee with almond milk, which isn’t for me! I tried black coffee too and then read in the book that it’s ok to add a dash of milk. Now I have a long black with two tablespoons of milk which I enjoy.
How do I stay motivated?
When I first started the Fast 800 I had a few events planned and felt excited about how I’d feel at those - one was a wedding and the other was a triathlon.
The other way I stay motivated? Accountability! I started the Fast 800 Diet with a friend and we checked in with each other each morning on WhatsApp about our current weight and how we went the day before.
My fast800mamma Instagram community has also become a huge source of accountability for me. When I started my account, I certainly wasn’t expecting it to grow into the amazing community it has! I absolutely love it.
Do I exercise?
During my the first 4 weeks in January / February 2019 I did 3 workouts in week three. After that I trained from week 5 to week 12 for a triathlon and then slowed down on the exercise front for awhile. I then did a 11km fun run (ran all the way!) in August 2019 and recently started training again, focusing on building muscle strength and tone.
What's a day of my meal plan look like?
Check out my Instagram@fast800mamma for my meal updates and grab my free recipe book here.
Do you have shakes or meal replacements?
I don't. I'm a huge believer in real food. I've learned so much weighing out my food, tracking my calories, knowing how many calories are in each type of food and eating real food, unprocessed natural food. I had 1 shake in week two and it came to like 300 calories.
I thought, "I would much prefer to eat a salad than drink that gross thing." I haven't had another one since!
Do I use recipes from the book?
I don't think I've used any. I do get good ideas from the book though and from a website called olivetomato.com which has great authentic Mediterranean recipes. I’ve also created my own Fast800 Recipe book packed with easy, delish meals you (and your family!) will love.
Do I eat treats?
I’ve had low-calorie peanut butter ice cream once or twice and a piece of dark Lindt chocolate - 90% - occasionally.
Do I have cheat days?
I don't believe in cheat days. I call them off plan days and I plan them. During the first 4 weeks I had 1 Date Night that was off plan. I didn't calculate my calories but I wouldn't have been far off 800.
Fast 800 resources you recommend?
There's a really good Facebook community, Fast800 Diet Community. It’s great for accountability and asking questions. You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram too.
Lindell x
