Lose 2 stone in 8 weeks diet plan: How to lose 2 stone in 2 months
Lose two stone in two months on this four-stage, low calorie diet that involves healthy eating and sensible exercises.
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If you're looking for how to lose two stone over eight weeks, our diet plan will take you through the steps to do it in a way that's healthy and sustainable in the short-term.
Losing weight quickly is rarely advised as it often involves some form of extreme dieting (opens in new tab) and intense exercise. Experts often warn this is one of the least sustainable ways to lose weight - as you're likely to put the weight back on as soon as you come off the diet plan. A combination of healthy weight loss (opens in new tab) techniques, maintenance and combatting the weight loss plateau (opens in new tab) is the best way forward.
But losing two stone (12.7kg or 28 pounds) in a short space of time is doable, according to Personal Trainer Claire Smith from The Training Room (opens in new tab), and doing so doesn't have to be an intensely restrictive process. Claire suggests, "Look at it as a lifestyle change rather than crash dieting – this way it is more sustainable too. A fat loss of between 1-2lb a week is the most healthy and safe. It may be that more weight is lost within the first two weeks and it’s important to create healthy habits rather than drastically cutting calories or cutting out a whole macronutrient, such as carbohydrates."
How to lose 2 stone in 8 weeks
To lose any weight (and keep it off), you have to be in a calorie deficit. This essentially means "making sure that calories in are less than calories out", Claire says. Many popular diets use this method for weight loss, such as the Fast 800 diet (opens in new tab).
The plan for how to lose 2 stone is divided into four stages, each one carefully designed to limit your calorie intake. Each stage also comes with exercises that start gently and gradually build up to help burn those calories. By week seven, you'll be on a beginners' running guide, plus skipping and swimming during the week.
This plan for how to lose 2 stone will undoubtedly be a shock to the system if you're someone who is not used to planning calorie-restricted meals or exercising very regularly. Claire advises, "It could be that you lose two stone in two months, depending on your metabolism, starting weight and physical activity levels – however, it is more realistic to be aiming for 1 stone in that same time period and anything you can lose above that is a bonus."
You should also bear in mind that because the number of calories you burn in a day (opens in new tab) differs from person to person - based on factors like age, height and starting weight - you should use a calorie deficit calculator before starting the plan.
Always seek medical advice before taking on any new diet or exercise plan.
Lose 2 stone in 8 weeks diet plan
Meal plans for weeks 1 and 2
Breakfast:
- Porridge with raspberries (109 calories)
- Overnight oats with raspberries (196 calories)
- Poached eggs (opens in new tab) on toast (189 calories)
- Mixed berry and yogurt smoothie (89 calories)
- Banana and honey (99 calories)
Lunch:
- Quorn lunch bowl (opens in new tab) (161 calories)
- Green miso noodle bowl (opens in new tab) (198 calories)
- Mediterranean vegetable chilli (opens in new tab) (190 calories)
- Pork pittas with mango and pomegranate salsa (opens in new tab) (222 calories)
- Tuna and red pesto pasta (opens in new tab) (370 calories)
Dinner:
- Wholewheat spaghetti with roasted vegetables (opens in new tab) (400 calories)
- Wild mushroom risotto (opens in new tab) (317 calories)
- One-pot tuna puttanesca (opens in new tab) (429 calories)
- Lemon chicken and rice stir-fry (opens in new tab) (204 calories)
- Chinese vegetable chow-mein (opens in new tab) (170 cals)
Snacks:
- Medium apple with 2tbsp peanut butter (283 calories)
- Energy balls (opens in new tab) (106 calories)
- Banana smoothie (opens in new tab) (165 calories)
- Red pepper hummus (opens in new tab) (128 calories per portion) with 4 x cracked black pepper Ryvita crackers (opens in new tab) (136 calories)
- Baked chickpeas (opens in new tab) (71 calories)
Exercise:
The National Activity Guidelines (opens in new tab) give a great breakdown of what your exercise plan over the 2 months could look like. But to get started, PT Claire says, "In terms of a basic plan for weight loss, I’d suggest a full-body programme as follows, which can be progressed by splitting it into separate upper and lower-body sessions so that the person is doing more exercises per muscle group. Cardiovascular (CV) training can be progressed by lengthening the time, intensity or even starting to do high-intensity interval training (HIIT)."
Here’s an example of a full-body programme you could try:
Meal plans for weeks 3 and 4
Breakfast:
- Strawberry and rhubarb breakfast bars (opens in new tab) (388 calories)
- Scrambled eggs (opens in new tab) and mushrooms (91 calories)
- Boiled egg with toast soldiers (285 calories)
- Alpen No Added Sugar cereal (opens in new tab) (199 calories)
- Kiwi, Greek yogurt and blueberries (95 calories)
Lunch:
- Spring vegetable soup (opens in new tab) (130 calories)
- Chicken pittas (opens in new tab) (176 calories)
- Winter root vegetable tagine (opens in new tab) (353 calories)
- Vegetable tortilla (opens in new tab) (390 calories)
- Rainbow cabbage salad (opens in new tab) (129 calories)
Dinner:
- Smoked salmon stir-fry (opens in new tab) (429 calories)
- Roast lamb with potatoes and rosemary (opens in new tab) (381 calories)
- Cheese and tomato bake (opens in new tab) (481 calories)
- Sausage, mushroom and bean stew (opens in new tab) (440 calories) - swap out the sausage for a non-meat version to make this dish vegan.
- Split pea and vegetable curry (opens in new tab) (300 calories)
Snacks:
- Homemade cheese straws (opens in new tab) (40 calories each)
- Quick pizza (opens in new tab) (218 calories)
- Super greens dip (opens in new tab) (62 calories) with 4 x cracked black pepper Rivita crackers (136 calories)
- Spicy baked chickpeas (opens in new tab) (70 cals)
Exercise:
The national Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that adults and older adults (aged 19 and over) aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise (including swimming, brisk walking and cycling) or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise per week (including running and sports) or a combination of both.
Claire says that building strength over the 8-week period is also essential, "to keep muscles, bones and joints strong and minimise sedentary time (e.g. hours glued to your desk) by breaking up periods of inactivity. Doing all of this will most certainly help you to lose weight over a two-month period."
Meal plans for weeks 5 and 6
Breakfast:
- Spinach omelette (opens in new tab) - 1 medium egg, 60g of spinach (94 calories)
- Two crumpets with butter (183 calories)
- Blueberry Bircher muesli (opens in new tab) (105 calories)
- Grapefruit, satsuma and pomegranate (75 calories)
- Mixed spice museli (opens in new tab) (424 calories)
Lunch:
- Tarka dahl (opens in new tab) (137 calories)
- Sweet potato pasta (opens in new tab) (198 calories)
- Baked stuffed peppers (opens in new tab) (240 calories)
- Minestrone soup recipe (opens in new tab) (190 calories)
- Leek and potato soup (opens in new tab) (140 calories)
Dinner:
- Salmon and potato salad (opens in new tab) (470 calories)
- Pasta with roasted cherry tomatoes (opens in new tab) (473 calories)
- Steak with reduced fat chips (425 calories)
- Tuna and tomato calzone (opens in new tab) (410 calories)
- Lean lamb chop (opens in new tab) with couscous (opens in new tab) (560 calories)
Snacks:
- Energy balls (106 calories)
- Banana smoothie (165 calories)
- Super greens dip (62 calories) with 4 x cracked black pepper Rivita crackers (136 calories)
- Spicy baked chickpeas (70 cals)
Exercise:
Once you've got the cardio and beginners' strength training under your belt, Claire says, "try to do functional functional exercises which help with active daily living as well as compound exercises that work multiple joints and muscle groups – examples are squats, lunges and press-ups.
"You can get your daily steps by walking instead of driving and taking the stairs instead of using the lift. Keep things simple and take things one at a time to create the habit, then move onto the next stage."
Meal plans for weeks 7 and 8
Breakfast:
- Bran Flakes with skimmed milk (166 calories)
- 1/2 grapefruit and 1 toasted teacake (216 calories)
- 2 slices of toast with 100g grilled tomatoes (125 calories)
- Boiled egg with toast soldiers (285 calories)
- Banana smoothie (165 calories)
Lunch:
- Pitta pesto pizza (opens in new tab) (500 calories)
- Salmon and scrambled egg bagels (opens in new tab) (639 calories)
- Tuna and red pesto pasta (370 calories)
- Mixed bean salad (opens in new tab) (180 calories)
- Bacon and broccoli pasta salad (opens in new tab) (340 calories)
Dinner:
- Chicken stir fry (opens in new tab) (various)
- Honey and mustard marinated road salmon (438 calories)
- Cheese and tomato bake (481 calories)
- Sausage, mushroom and bean stew (440 calories) - swap out the sausage for a non-meat version to make this dish vegan.
- Wild mushroom risotto (317 calories)
Snacks:
- Protein bar (around 300 calories)
- Energy balls (106 calories)
- Banana smoothie (165 calories)
- Super greens dip (62 calories) with 4 x cracked black pepper Rivita crackers (136 calories)
- Spicy baked chickpeas (70 cals)
Exercise:
Follow the exercise plan for how to lose 2 stone as per other weeks.
As Claire says, "The best thing to do is to take baby steps because a drastic change will possibly lead to a return to an unhealthy lifestyle. By taking it one step at a time, you will ensure that your new normal is sustainable."
Related features:
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- What is reverse dieting and will it help you lose weight? (opens in new tab)
- Diets that work fast (opens in new tab)
- Weight gain: How long does it take to put on weight? (opens in new tab)
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Jessica Dady is Senior Content Editor at Goodto.com and has over 10 years of experience as a digital journalist, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the best food hampers to cookbooks, from the best cake stands to baking sets, Jessica has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to must-have food products. A passionate baker, she spends much of her time creating celebration cakes for friends and family - particularly for her two lucky children.
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