Jill lost 30kg (4.7st) and lives pain-free

65-year-old Jill had thought she knew everything about diet. However, she quickly found that there was more to learn when she discovered The Fast 800 Programme. Now an incredible 30kg lighter, Jill has found that losing the excess weight has benefits far beyond her physical health.

Jill was out at lunch with her friend when she noticed that her friend had lost a lot of weight, enquiring at the end of the meal: “You look fantastic, what have you done?” Her friend revealed that she was on week nine of The Fast 800 Programme. With the pair having similarly inquisitive minds, Jill wanted to find out why something worked before committing to it and, like her friend, she did a lot of research. This led her to buy The Fast 800 book. 

Immediately, Jill liked what she read; it made sense to her. Along with a physiotherapist recommending weight loss for arthritis pain in her knee, Jill decided to take the plunge and commit to the Programme.

Jill’s Programme revelation

Jill joined The Fast 800 Programme and immediately found the guidance to work very well for her. After having completed our personalisation questionnaire – a short set of questions about her current weight and lifestyle – The Very Fast 800 approach was recommended. This approach involves consuming 800 quality calories a day for a period of two to twelve weeks, designed for those who aim to rapidly lose a lot of weight. 

Jill found that the weight began to steadily fall off in that very first week. She read her way through the member articles on the Programme, and began to gain a deeper understanding of the lifestyle as a whole. This meant that as she was socialising with friends and family, she was able to apply our key principles, without feeling restricted.

New understandings of health & weight loss

By the end of week four, Jill had lost over 11kg, and the results kept coming. The lifestyle overhaul made her see just how misinformed she was about fad diets. Accustomed to having low-fat spreads, semi-skimmed milk and diet drinks, it was quite a shock to be encouraged to consume full-fat milk and proper butter. As these helped keep her fuller for longer, she quickly realised why her previous diet attempts had never worked long-term. 

On top of the other changes to her diet, Jill also embraced Time Restricted Eating (TRE), having breakfast around 10am and dinner around 6pm. By eating a Mediterranean-style diet, rich in all the nutrients her body needs, Jill has found that she was no longer hungry between meals and didn’t need to snack on cheese and biscuits before bed, as she used to do. 

Once Jill felt comfortable with TRE, she moved on to 3:4 and then 5:2 diet approaches. The New 5:2 diet involves consuming 800 calories just two days a week, and not restricting quality calories on the other five, acting as the perfect way for Jill to transition from calorie restriction to a longer-term weight loss maintenance solution.

This leads us to where Jill is today in her incredible weight loss journey.

Where is Jill today?

Jill has now naturally transitioned into the Way of Life approach. This approach enabled Jill to use the tools she learned from the Programme to maintain her weight loss with no calorie counting, and she’s now lost an incredible 30kg (4.7st)! 

She still religiously reads the weekly articles to expand her knowledge and now enjoys the Programme’s exercise plans. Jill took to the exercises better than she thought she would, working her way up to the Intermediate Plus level. Chrissy’s Total Body Workout and Pascal’s Upper Body Workout are both particular favourites!

Since losing so much weight, Jill has now found that her knee has improved; she’s experiencing less pain and discomfort and has noticed an overall improvement in her mobility. But, it’s not just the physical benefits that have really changed Jill’s life.

The weight loss has meant she’s been able to be a more hands-on mother and grandmother without the weight or pain holding her back. At Christmas, Jill’s eldest daughter put her arms around her and said “I’ve got my mum back” and, fantastically, she can now play on the ground and jump on the trampoline with her beloved grandchildren.

A Q&A with Jill

Was there anything particularly helpful with the Programme versus other popular diet groups?

“I found the support groups in the Community really useful and I used them a lot in the early stages. Just to know that there were other people who had started the exact same programme, on the exact same week as me was so helpful. To be able to share our experiences with each other was great.”

Did following the Programme impact those you lived with?

“Because I do most of the food shopping and cooking for both my husband and myself, he also ended up shedding weight by default! And actually, as long as he’s got a recipe to follow, he’s very happy to cook the meals too.”

Was there a moment you realised how much you had achieved?

“My husband and I also both go to the gym together. Recently, we were both at the gym and he called over and he said, “just come into the weight room for a minute”. He handed me a bar with some weights on it and said “just lift that”. He had put 30 kilos on the bar and said “that’s what you’ve lost in weight!” I was stunned to feel it – it was so heavy!”

Dr Michael Mosley comments on Jill’s weight loss success with The Fast 800 Programme 

“I think Jill’s story is absolutely fabulous and I’m delighted for her. Jill shows us that once you start on the journey towards better health, you start to incorporate other healthy habits. I can’t imagine that when she was her original weight, Jill would have ever dreamt of going to the gym. However, once she lost the weight, she regained her confidence, and then it felt like a possibility for her.” 

Jill’s determination, inquisitive nature and positive attitude helped turn her life around. By choosing to stick with The Fast 800 Programme, she chose a pain-free, healthy life which she can enjoy for many years to come. If you’re looking for results like Jill’s, take a look at the Programme here today. And, it’s now available as an app, making better health even more convenient.