Right that's it -I'm going to diet using Zoe harcombe the lard must go...

[Stylelostinlabour]

Well I think it's time to stop moaning and get on with losing 3 stone so I've been reading up on diet and have decided the ZH one is for me.

I'm starting on Sunday 1st January if anyone wants to join me?

I'll do phase 1 for 5 days then I'm going to build in couch to 5k as well.

Anyone fancy joining me on the journey and sharing ideas and motivation?

[Chestnutx3]

ppfruit - I'm O blood type so dairy should be out for me!

[Stylelostinlabour]

Right day one under way

Missed breakfast (went food shopping instead and had decaf coffee black)
Homemade veg soup for lunch
Roast chicken as snack
Lamb shank and carrot/swede for tea

Hopefully I havent failed on the first day by eating something I shouldn't?

Headache has just kicked in as well so much drink more water

[jicky]

A lunch recommendation is the roasted butternut squash soup that's in her book. It is wonderful. I'm going to start again on Tuesday. Really feel bloated with Christmas carbs.

[Stylelostinlabour]

Oh will find that one as have some butternut squash

[CutItOutAndRestart]

can I mark my place to join you all from Monday? I was planning to start tomorrow but DH wants to have a big family cooked lunch tomorrow to make up for the fact that I took one bite on Christmas day and ended up in hospital (it had nothing to do with his cooking!)

Due to gallbladder issues I thought this plan might be better for me than low carbing but I need to get my head around what I can and can't eat. I have the blue recipe book already, is it worth getting the main green book as well?

oh and could anyone offer some tips on drinking enough water as I am useless at it?

[TheGoddessBlossom]

I sort of follow zh but mainly steer clear of carbs altogether apart from porridge with water. Have been reasonably good even I dr Christmas apart from today. Fell massively off the wagon have have had chocolate, rice, and loads of bread, and to be quite honest feel bloTed, puffy and generally really crap.

For me the main benefits of low carb are:

Thrush completely gone for first time in years
No desire at all to snack between meals
Cravings for bread gone
No longer get faint and shaky when hungry - used to have to eat every 3 hours to avoid this

I had headaches for 3-4 days during phase 1 coming off caffiene but don't miss it now.
The hardest thing to do is to find food on the move as stations and garages are all about the sandwich. But more and more there are m&s food places where you can get a salad etc.

I have not necessarily lost weight on this eating plan but find it easier to maintain my ideal weight and the other benefits mentioned above make it worth it.

[muttimalzwei]

Style I am starting tomorrow. Too much cheese and crackers to consume today. It's going to hit me hard as I have been really back on caffeine due to sleep deprivation. Just made carrot and coriander soup in preparation.
CutItOut have upi tried drinking fizzy water? That seems to quench thirst better and seem a bit more interesting. Plus you can get a bit of a funny taste with the first few days and sparkling seems to cleanse your palate or whatever somehow. I drank a lot of peppermint tea too for the same reasons.

[muttimalzwei]

Goddess you are spot on with the benefits. The main advantage to me of this over other diets I've tried is that you really lose the need to snack between meals.

[BerylStreep]

Can I join too?

I did ZH before, with amazing success, but I fell off the wheat-free and refined foods wagon, and have put back all of the weight I lost . I went from being 96kg to 80kg over the course of 16 months, but in the following 22 months have slowly put it all back on. There are various reasons for this, partly because I haven't really been able to exercise following surgery, but it all becomes a vicious circle, and when you are bloated and tired from eating bread, the last thing you feel is motivated to exercise.

I stepped on the scales today and I am back to 96kg! (I think a lot of it is bloating, as I have put on 3kg in about a week).

ZH isn't for everyone, but it works for me. I have been wheat & sugar-free today so far, and plan to start phase 1 tomorrow.

My NY resolution is also to do more exercise - I am aiming for 4 sessions a week - pilates, walking with friends one night a week, dance on the PS3 and a family walk at the weekend. If I can also add a bike ride, all the better, but I think I need to be realistic.

Good luck everyone for phase 1.
CutItOutandRestart - I would really recommend getting the green book as well - it explains the principles of the diet.

Am also interested in this blood type diet.

[Stylelostinlabour]

Welcome all - how we all doing today?

[muttimalzwei]

not well but enjoying the last pickings of 'bad' food. Start tomorrow. How are you getting on

[Stylelostinlabour]

Think it's going OK - even with going out for lunch managed to have prawns and steak and salad, no pudding and a decaf black coffee.

Although I did eat some corn on the cob and then thought should I have eaten that aaarrggghhhh

Need ideas for drinks as I usually live on tea about 12 cups a day

[TheGoddessBlossom]

Better! Porridge with water for brekkie, ham and pea soup for lunch and DH is cooking roast pork so will have meat and veg for tea. Have avoided all the leftover chocolates from the tree (so far.....)

[Stylelostinlabour]

Oh I forgot about porridge with have that tomorrow - good going stay away from the chocs!

[TheGoddessBlossom]

am extremely full after tea so anything I eat now would be sheer gluttony. Will be good and have a cuppa and nothing with it. Hopefully. Evenings are the worst time for me.

[Stylelostinlabour]

Day two nearly completed just need to stay good when kids have gone to bed - missing my cup of tea though!

Can you ever have milk - not bothered about decaf but I miss milk in my tea

No side effects or cravings so far maybe day three with be harder.

Right what's everyone eating for breakfast?

[CutItOutAndRestart]

I started out with just yoghurt this morning but it all fell apart in the afternoon due to the vast amount of Christmas food still in the house

The positives are that I have drunk more water today and I have stocked up on some ingredients to make some of the recipes in my book.

Talking of milk, would lacto free or soya be ok? I am going to be using the lacto free for a cuppa in the morning and then hot water and lemon the rest of the day.

Back to work tomorrow :( so I am planning on have some eggs and veggie sausages in the morning. Fingers crossed this will keep me going until lunch.

[Stylelostinlabour]

Not sure about soya as love a soya latte!

[TheGoddessBlossom]

I did have a splash of skimmed milk in decaf tea and coffee in phase 1. I also drank caffeine free diet coke.

Porridge with water for brekkie (always have this, so quick and easy)
Pizza express roasted vegetable and goats cheese salad for lunch, no dough sticks
Leftover roast pork with salad for tea.

3 glasses of white wine

[Stylelostinlabour]

Pizza express lunch sounds lovely! Alas I'm being super good and had another fruit tea just not the same...

On a plus I hopped onto the scales this am and I'm 4lbs down already in 2 days

[muttimalzwei]

That's brilliant. I am slowly getting ready for phase one. Cutting back on caffeine and eating well again.

[BerylStreep]

I am on day 2 of phase 1 - I felt great yesterday and have been fine today, although I am feeling very snackish. Have just had a small natural yoghurt with a handful of unsalted mixed nuts to keep me going.

Pleasingly, I am already 1.2kg down, although I knew a lot of the weight was bloating.
Am probably not drinking enough water. I too can't manage without the merest splash of skimmed milk in my decaf tea.

I had spinach with eggs and butter zapped in the microwave for breakfast today - absolutely delicious!

My DH is a bit about all the vegetables in the fridge, I went a bit mad at Sainsburys yesterday.

[TheGoddessBlossom]

usual porridge for brekkie, homemade pea and ham soup for lunch (thanks DH) and will have more cold meat and salad for tea. Have finally got to the supermarket today and got stratberries and blue berries so will have them with pumpkin seeds and low fat natural live yog for pud if I am still hungry.

I too need to drink more water.

Beryl, my DH has just opened fridge door and said "Jeezuz are we keeping broccoli farmers in business singlehandedly?"

[CutItOutAndRestart]

well done on the weight loss so far :)

Today has been rubbish. My stomach was awful this morning (not helped by it being the first day back at work) I couldn't face breakfast early so took porridge with me to work.

I didn't have time to get any water in work, was late getting home and then ds played up so I couldn't get on with making lunch and tea before heading out on the school run. I had iced xmas cake for lunch and carrots and houmous for tea as my proper tea is still cooking.

And this is the cycle I struggle with, not having enough time to sort meals properly and resorting to grabbing something on the go. I now have to be careful and avoid the snacking / binging when the dc are in bed (danger time).

if I can fast forward to tomorrow I have some lovely veg cooking in one slow cooker and the other one is cooking my first attempt at soya yoghurt. This should result in live yoghurt so I pressure it will be fine to eat?

[Stylelostinlabour]

I find I have to prepare the day before what I'm going to eat otherwise it would all go to pot and I'd be picking at the kids plates.

Today was:

Porridge with Water
Salmon Filet and steamed veg for lunch
Roast Lamb and Veg for tea

Stuffed now but have been for a run and I'm going to have to have a cup of tea otherwise I'll be horrid...