Diet expert Dr Michael Mosley has suggested the best foods to eat more of if you want to lose weight quickly. The television doctor, who founded the 5:2 diet, has created a short-term diet called the Fast 800 Diet that claims to boost rapid weight loss.
But there is a warning to check with health professionals before trying it out. The diet involves eating 800 calories a day in the form of foods that are consumed within a low-carb Mediterranean diet in order to feel full.
He also says that foods that are rich in protein, as well as being high in fibre and healthy fats, should be used as a "kick-start to improve metabolic health" until a healthy weight is achieved - or for up to 12 weeks.
Read more: The exact situation with Covid hospitalisations in Wales as testing ends
Dr Mosley, who is the resident weight loss expert on This Morning, recommends that adults consume at least 60g of protein daily. However, he explains that this can actually be upped if you're looking to lose weight. He claims that those who incorporate less than this amount of protein in their diets could be harming their metabolic rate. He said: "Your body will cannibalise your muscles and your metabolic rate will go down."
Explaining who the diet might help, the website says "Major studies have shown that following an 800 calorie a day diet is much more effective than going “slow and steady”. A rapid weight loss plan, with typical weight loss of around 10kg in 12 weeks, is a proven way to reverse, and prevent the onset of, type 2 diabetes.."
It also explains how they believe it works saying: "We all use two different types of fuel to function: glucose and fat. If you eat and snack regularly throughout the day, your body gets a continual source of glucose from food to fuel your muscles. Any excess (if you eat more calories than you burn off through exercise) is then stored as fat.
"However, when you spend some time fasting and lowering your intake carbohydrates, the glucose supply temporarily runs out, and your body has to switch to taking fat from your fat stores to burn as fuel. Scientists call this fuel transfer ‘flipping the metabolic switch’."
The British Heart Foundation states: "Most adults need around 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight per day (for the average woman, this is 45g, or 55g for men). That’s about two portions of meat, fish, nuts or tofu per day."
Protein-rich foods include:
- Eggs
- Almonds
- Chicken breast
- Lean beef
- Greek yoghurt
- Tofu
- Cottage cheese
- Lentils
- Spinach
- Fish
- Quinoa
If you plan on attempting the Fast 800 it is essential that you check with a health professional first, and you should also be cautious when reintroducing calories to your diet. While many weight-loss crash diets are criticised, both in nature and for the inability to keep the weight off, Dr Mosley believes his revamped Fast 800 diet is effective in the long term.
He said: "If you do a safe and effective rapid weight loss diet, two to three years down the road you'll keep most of that weight off."
