Becoming the ‘poster boy’ for Dr Michael Mosley’s The Fast 800
In March 2024, when my GP diagnosed me with prehypertension (i.e having blood pressure that’s slightly higher than normal) and as being borderline diabetic, warning bells started to ring.
Known as the ‘silent killer’, hypertension often has no symptoms but it can lead to serious conditions like kidney disease, stroke and heart attack.
At the same time, my weight had crept up and my Body Mass Index (BMI) was above the ‘healthy’ 18.5 to 24.9 threshold, and closer to 30 — which, in the eyes of the NHS, meant I was ‘borderline obese’. My weight was 14 stone 2lbs (90Kg).
Both diagnoses came just a month after my older sister passed away. And, with a history of cardiovascular disease running in the family, it was another stark reminder of life’s finite nature.
Prevention is better than cure
The signs were there. I needed to take responsibility for my own health and not leave it in the hands of others. While I’m not against medication, my work as a Naturopath has helped my patients achieve wellbeing through natural methods and treatments, minimising the need for drugs. So it was time to lead by example.
With the encouragement of my enlightened GP, I decided to follow the late Dr Michael Mosley’s The Fast 800 and six months on, I haven’t looked back.
What is the Fast 800?
Launched in 2018, the idea is simple: to help you achieve weight loss for better health, improve blood sugar levels, reduce risk of chronic illness and help you make better choices for your long-term health.
The programme has three different approaches. The Very Fast 800, The New 5: 2 or Way of Life. I chose the Very Fast 800 which involves consuming 800 calories a day for up to 12 weeks before transitioning to The New 5:2, which is a much longer-term approach.
The New 5:2 involves ‘fasting days’ where you eat around 800 calories a day, twice a week and ‘sensible’ portions of moderately low-carb Mediterranean style food for the remaining five days.
Once you sign up, you get access to more than 600 recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, meal plans, weekly shopping lists and exercise plans, like high intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions, resistance training and stretching.
Becoming the ‘poster boy’ for Dr Micheal Mosely
Of course, this lifestyle change won’t be necessary or right for everybody. I’m in the very fortunate position of having a supportive wife at home who takes on all the shopping and cooking this plan entails. But it certainly hasn’t been plain sailing.
There were times when I felt hungry. But the death of my sister and my own diagnosis was the impetus to keep going. Instead of reaching for my usual snack bar, bowl of cereal after dinner or glass of expensive apple juice, I’d eat a low calorie swap, like an apple.
Now my breakfasts involve a bowl of bircher muesli, topped with fresh fruit and nuts. While lunches and dinners have included the likes of protein-rich lentil salads and hearty miso soups.
Since March 2024 I’ve gone from 14 stone 2lbs to 11 stone 7lbs, and I’ve lost 7 inches from my waist. My BMI now sits at 25.1 and under the guidance of my GP, who described me as the ‘poster boy’ for Michael Moseley, my blood pressure is entirely normal and I’ve stopped all my hypertension medication (and I haven’t increased my exercise). I am no longer pre-diabetic!
Plus, according to my wife, I no longer snore. And above all, I feel great.
The answers are within us
It’s important to note: I don’t believe in diets. Contrary to what today’s ‘diet-culture’ will have you believe, dieting is not just about losing weight.
Instead, diets — or as I prefer to call them, lifestyle changes — include changing our relationship to food, and understanding your own triggers without self-sabotaging during moments of stress or trauma. Plus, not only do lifestyle changes have to be achievable, but they have to work long-term.
Six months on, I feel proud to have achieved better health, with the help of my wife and to be ‘the poster boy for Michael Moseley’. And it’s why I’m now encouraging my patients to reclaim their health.
Whether it’s moving more and sitting less, getting enough quality sleep, or making positive lifestyle changes that impact your health for the better — like consuming a balanced diet.
Medical disclaimer: if you are thinking of changing your medication or embarking on a significant weight loss program, please speak to your GP first.
Robin Kiashek has more than 30 years’ experience as an Osteopath. Alongside his Classical Osteopathy work, where he can help with mechanical issues like general, acute & chronic backache and back pain, Naturopath Robin is trained in Western Medical Acupuncture, Low Level Laser Therapy and the Perrin Technique for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME.
Robin is committed to helping his patients achieve physical and emotional wellbeing. So if you are struggling with any ongoing pain, get in touch with Robin today.
