Harcombe - anyone want to join in?

[kazzawazzawoo]

Is anyone else following the Harcombe way of eating?

I've been following this on and off for about two years, but recently lost the plot and dived into a pile of crisps and milk chocolate

I need to get back on track and wondered if anyone would like to keep me company and also inspire me with meal plans, recipes etc as I get bored sometimes of the same old thing.

You are very good at being strict with yourself! And feeling the benefits is a great motivator.

I want instant results without any hardship, which is probably where I'm going wrong!

But I'm only very good until something happens, generally something stressful and then I crave chocolate and have no willpower. And I can't just have one piece or one bar, I can't stop again

Today I've had omelette for breakfast, tuna mayo with salad and cheese and egg for lunch, snacked on some Parma ham. For dinner we're having chicken fajitas, but I'll just have chicken and salad no wrap.

Back on track hopefully today!

bacon and eggs for breakfast
Ham salad for lunch
parsnips, sprouts and bacon for tea.

Hi, can any of you kind, experienced Harcombers point me in the right direction in starting please? Eg what online resources books etc are good? I've done low carb before very successfully but am struggling to get back into it (put about a stone back on) so would like to try Lowe carb again a 'different' way. I like the idea of being allowed some broken rice and a small amount of fruit. Any advice?? Thanks!

Haha at 'broken' rice, brown rice I meant!

You can get all the books on Kindles as well as hardback from Amazon

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/s/ref=mw_dp_a_s?k=Zoe%20Harcombe

There's also a few FB groups. :)

Don't know what it is with Harcombe, but I just can't stay on track, even though I am desperate to lose some weight. I'm doing a bit of a combination of Harcombe and 5:2 (but not really sticking to either if I'm honest.)

I just want to get away from having to weigh and measure things, which you have to do on the non fast days of 5:2 if you're trying to lose weight. And because I'm not very tall my calorie allowance is a bit on the low side for non fast days too.

So, I had about 500 cals yesterday, and tried to mostly stick to Harcombe friendly food for those. Today is a Harcombe day and will be

B: NLY and possibly hard boiled egg
L: Ham salad
T: Minced beef with some sort of tomato based sauce plus veg.

I'm really struggling too, but I'm finding things very stressful at the moment and all I want to do is eat sweet stuff

But today I weighed myself for the first time in ages and I have put back on all the weight I lost So I need to do something. I'm really stuck because I'm so fed up of eggs and I don't really enjoy eating meat much apart from mince- it hurts my teeth. And I think dairy affects me badly, so I can't have lots of yoghurt and cream. AND I have to stick to a very low budget

I had quite a good day today although not strict phase one. I had porridge made with water for breakfast, salad with sausages and egg for lunch, a snack of some parma ham and then bacon, eggs and cherry tomatoes for dinner.

Feeling positive again today. I had 2 fried eggs and 2 rashers of bacon and a little natural yoghurt for breakfast, I have an egg mayo salad for lunch and a snack of cold sausages, then dinner will be chilli con carne without the beans and no rice or anything.

Slipped up tonight and had 2 teaspoons of peanut butter.

Another day of sticking to this way of eating.

For breakfast bacon and eggs, for lunch egg mayo salad and for dinner chicken stirfry with a little leftover chilli and a little fried swede. Snacks of cold sausages, babybel cheese and olives.

Today I had bacon and eggs for breakfast, egg and sausage salad for lunch and ham, egg and brie with coleslaw for dinner and a snack of olives.

This is day 5 of phase 1 plus cheese for me. (I know that's phase 2 actually, but I also know I can't stick to it if I don't have cheese, as I get very bored.)

Today I've had bacon and eggs for breakfast, for lunch I have egg mayo salad with cold sausages and for dinner we're having roast shoulder of pork with cauliflower and cheese and green beans. Yum.

Over the weekend I will relax the rules and have some lovely German rye bread for breakfast with something lovely, although I expect our main meals will stay the same. I may have a white wine spritzer in the evening though and possibly some home popped popcorn whilst watching a film.

Very aware I'm talking to myself all the time, but it helps me to keep on track by posting what I've eaten.

You're not actually talking to yourself, I'm listening, but just not replying!

Well done on getting to day 5. I tend to have a bit of cheese too because I just go completely off the rails if I don't!

I'm happy today because Friday is weigh day for me, and I'm 2lb down, hooray (this is after half fasting and half harcombe.)

Today was my 'day off' and then tomorrow it'll be a fast day I think. I usually avoid breakfast and see how I go on a fast day, but try to stick to the Harcombe rules and so if I eat too much I'm not being completely bad!

Me too! I started Harcombe about 10 days ago but have stayed on P1 because I have been on low carb and was seriously stalled. Basicaaly I have been eating P1 but without the rice allowance as carbs really don't suit me. So far I've lost just under 4lb which I think is pretty good given that I'll have no glycogen stores to lose.

I've been better than I thought given that I adore cheese. I'm really starting to crave it today though. I don't miss cream as much but I'm wondering if it really is something to do with candida seeing as I got this far and suddenly the craving starts. Shame there don't seem to be more established Harcombe fans around to help us out.

Hi there is someone out there

10 days on phase 1 is great.

Rosina, well done

I'll weigh myself in the morning and tomorrow will be my day off.

I'm really disappointed Weighed myself this morning and have only lost one pound

I'm wondering if I ate too much, even though it was all low carb - except slipped up last night and finished off dds popcorn - not very much though - and had a small piece of bread with nutella and a small scoop of vanilla icecream with strawberries .... actually that sounds pretty bad

Well, over the weekend I'm going to try and eat a little of what I fancy without shovelling chocolate in, then back to Harcombes on Monday. Problem is, I'm so hungry all the time!

You probably gained back some water with cheating. Try not to let it throw you off track and just get back in the saddle. Actually, the small carby treats will keep you feeling hungry too so you don't do yourself any favours. Harcombe, especially in P1, is basically low carb. Its not as low as some diets when you get into P2 but when you really get into the books she doesn't actually recommend moving into full P2 until you are almost maintenance level. Low carb will shift weight but you have to commit as it doesn't work with even little cheats. You might not put weight on but you will stall.

Try and console yourself that you are just holding onto a bit of extra water and don't ruin a week of hard work!

True, I'm starving this morning! But I really craved some bread, proper rye bread, wholegrain.

How far into the plan are you? She does say the stuff you really crave can be the things you most need to avoid! I've been like that with dairy. I got into the Harcombe books when I stalled for months on LC. Everybody had been saying to cut it out but I wouldn't make that push. Its made a huge difference though. I don't intend it to be permanent but it obviously stops the actual weight loss for me.

I've been following it for over 2 years on and off but not so much recently. I tried to get back on track Monday and have done well all week, but have been having a little cheese with my egg salad and also on chilli. I suspect I should not have cheese

I'll get back on track again tomorrow, but tonight I'm having a white wine spritzer.

I worry about the amount of processed meat I eat, I have bacon for breakfast, with my egg salad, sausages too every day.

I'll try without next week.