In the United Kingdom Michael Mosley, one of the most popular British doctors and communicators, is the Alberto Angela of nutrition, the speleologist of the wonders of the human body, ready to act as a guinea pig in the early evening and in first person (he swallowed a micro-camera live to show what happens in the intestine and has undergone endless experiments and tests in the nine editions of Trust me, I'm a Doctor, a successful program on the BBC, in order to demystify fashions and myths about health, diets, physical exercise).
In his 800 calories (just published by Vallardi and already a bestseller in England) he explains how it is possible to "combine the fastest weight loss with the best long-term health."
“For years,” he says, “we've been thinking that losing weight quickly would damage health, but the latest research shows that this is not the case. The monumental 2021 Direct study, published in The Lancet, made it clear that lose many pounds (10% of weight) quickly, on an 800 calorie diet, is an effective method of shedding the visceral fat that infiltrates the liver and pancreas, stop making them work properly, and even able to regress the 2 type diabetes. The Droplet study, also from 2021, from the University of Oxford dismantles another prejudice: that those who lose weight slowly achieve more lasting results ».
Immediately gratified, more motivated
One year after the end of the Oxford experiment, in particular, those who had followed the 800-calorie diet had lost 10 kilos against the 3 of those who had lost weight slowly and steadily. And other research says that obese people who lose a lot of weight quickly, not only do not see their metabolism slow down, but they achieve better and more stable results because their motivation remains high. “Contrary to what has been believed so far,” continues Mosley, “losing weight more quickly and more dramatically is more likely to not regain it. Why gratification plays a key role in diets: Seeing efforts rewarded quickly helps us not to give up. Those who see the needle of the balance slowly retreat, are more inclined to throw in the towel ». A drastic diet, if carried out safely according to the criteria summarized in the box on the left, would also stably regress mood swings, insomnia, hypertension, blood sugar, inflammation.
How the Mosley Diet Works
Mosley's program combine the four most effective schemes and science-proven to lose weight and gain health: the calorie restriction (every day or just a few per week); the prolonged overnight fasting (you do not eat for 12-14 consecutive hours); there ketosis (the mechanism that prompts the body to use fat in the form of ketones for energy); there Mediterranean diet (for "free" calorie days).
"I recommend starting with at least 2 weeks at 800 calories and 12 hours of overnight fasting every day," says Dr. Mosley. “Then, and in any case no later than three months, the 800-calorie days have to go to 2 per week and overnight fasting at 14 hours. For the other 5 days just check the portions. Once you have reached your desired weight, you can start following a healthy Mediterranean diet, keeping the 800-calorie diet only one day a week and continuing to fast for 12-14 hours a night ».
