• From the 5:2 to the 8-week blood sugar diet p. 8
• So what’s new? p. 10
• The Fast 800 p. 11
• A low-carbohydrate Mediterranean diet p. 13
• Other elements of the Fast 800 programme p. 13
• Why losing weight is about more than vanity p. 14
• Super size me p. 16
• My background p. 17

• Carbs and insulin p. 20
• Other damaging effects of raised insulin p. 23
• The rise and rise of junk food p. 24
• Why snacking makes us fat p. 26
• Food addiction p. 27
• Which are the most addictive foods and why? p. 29

Meet the CRONies p. 35
The battle of the bodies p. 37
Fasting lemurs live longer p. 38
More manageable forms of fasting p. 39

1. Periodic fasting p. 40
   • Autophagy p. 41
   • Regeneration p. 42
   • Jenni’s story p. 43
   • Flipping the metabolic switch p. 44
   • Periodic fasting and cancer p. 46
   • Nora Quinn p. 47
   • The fast mimicking diet p. 48
2. The 5:2 approach p. 49
   • New studies p. 52
   • The 5:2 and raised blood sugar p. 52
   • The 5:2 and breast cancer p. 54
   • The first human trial on the impact of the 5:2 on the brain p. 55
   • The 5:2 and the heart p. 59
   • Time restricted eating p. 60
   • How does TRE work? p. 61
   • TRE trials with humans p. 63
   • The optimal fasting window p. 65
   • And does it matter when you do your fasting/eating p. 65
   • TRE and acid reflux p. 67
   • TRE and cancer p. 68
   • TRE as part of the Fast 800 p. 69

• The DIRECT study p. 73
• Mike’s story p. 76
• The PREVIEW study p. 78
• The DROPLET trial p. 79
• Q&A p. 81
• If I do a rapid loss diet, won’t I put the weight straight back on? p. 81
• Won’t my metabolism crash if I go on a rapid weight loss diet? p. 82
• But what about the longer term? p. 83
• If I put the weight back on, will I be worse of than I was before? p. 84
• What about exercising on a rapid weight loss diet? p. 84
• Who shouldn’t embark on a rapid weight loss diet? p. 85

So, what exactly is a healthy Mediterranean diet? p. 89
How to boost you M score p. 91

1. Reduce sugars and starchy carbs p. 91
2. Increase you consumption of natural healthy fats p. 92
3. Eat decent amounts of protein p. 92
4. Eat plenty of green and coloured vegetables p. 92
5. Swap to wholegrain and pulses p. 93
6. Avoid snacking between meals or late-night grazing p. 93
7. Drink healthily p. 93
8. The Med diet and the microbiome p. 94
9. The Med diet offers a long-term solution p. 95
   • How does the Med diet compare with very low carb diets, like Keto and Atkins? p. 96
   • The Dimona trial p. 98
   • Q&A p. 100
   • What if I like eating other cuisines, like Indian and Thai? p. 100
   • What if I’m a vegetarian or vegan? p. 101
   • Isn’t a Mediterranean diet expensive? p. 102
   • A few money-saving tips p. 103

• Stand p. 104
• Walk p. 105
• HIIT (High-intensity Interval Training) p. 107
• Dr Vollaard’s HIIT workout p. 110
• Strength training p. 111
• 12 ways to introduce more activity into your life p. 112

• What is stress? p. 115
• How stress and insomnia fuel your hunger p. 115
• Ways to beat stress and anxiety p. 117
• Mindfulness p. 118
• The raisin practice p. 119
• The kindness practice p. 120
• The prodigal son practice p. 121
• Mindfulness in nature p. 121

• Stage 1: The Very Fast 800 – rapid weight loss p. 124
• Stage 2: The New 5:2 – intermittent fasting p. 125
• Stage 3: Maintenance – a way of life p. 125
• The Fast 800 at a glance p. 126

Before you start p. 127

• Tests and targets p. 127
• Basic measurements you can do at home: WWR: Weight, Waist, ad Resting Heart Rate. p. 127
• More sophisticated home measurements p. 128
• Be clear about your goals p. 129
• Clear out the cupboards p. 130
• Ten healthy foods to stock your refrigerator and cupboards with p. 131
• Broadcast the news p. 134

Q&A p. 135

• Should I start by doing 899 calories a day? p. 135
• Should I start off with real food or with a meal replacement diet shakes? p. 135
• Should I take a vitamin supplement? p. 136

Stage 1: What to expect p. 137

• Managing the first two weeks p. 137
• Side effects p. 138
• How to introduce TRE (Time Restricted Eating) p. 139
• Doing exercise p. 139
• How to deal with cravings p. 140

Stage 2: Switching to the new 5:2 p. 147

• How to choose your 800-calorie days p. 148
• When to eat your calories on an 800-calorie day p. 148
• What to eat on non-fast days p. 149
• How to combine the new 5:2 with TRE p. 149

Q&A p. 151

• What if I’m not losing weight? p. 151
• Is it safe to fast on my period? p. 151
• Will fasting affect my sleep? p. 152
• What about exercise? p. 152

Stage 3: Keeping the weight off as a way of life p. 153

Where do we go from here? p. 166

• Breakfast p. 170
• Light meals p. 178
• Main meals p. 212
• Vegetable sides and swaps p. 234
• Occasional treats p. 246
• Good hydration p. 252