This could change your life

[fraggletits]

Anyone doing Zoe Harcombe?

I would never have known about her had I not tried her diet that was serialised in the news of the world magazine 3 months ago.

It appealed to me because it was proper food, no calorie counting - but I was going away on hols so decided to do a kerry katona last blow out and then I'd start it when I got back.

I've bought the book and am so far 5lbs lighter and I am only on day 4 of the 5 day kickstart. Phase 2 looks really good and Phase 3 is a return to completely normal eating and drinking with just a couple of simple rules to follow.

It's brilliant. I can't recommend it highly enough. I thought I was a hopeless big dinner portion fan - a crisp and chocolate addict with alcoholic tendencies. But she has just blown all that apart for me. (It's more than just a diet - it's an explanation of why we crave things and why we feel helpless - phase 1 and 2 eliminate these cravings pretty painlessly so that by phase 3 you can eat all the things you used to but with a couple of simple rules and with a new found awareness and control over food, gained from phase 1 and 2)

She's got a couple of websites - one under zoe harcombe, one under thedietguru I think.

Hope this helps anyone struggling with calorie counting and exercise

Please tell me more!!
Looked at the website but not really much information about the diet itself. What can you eat?? Is it easy to follow??
Might hit the shops to find the book.

Hi Fimbles -

Basically you can eat all meats, eggs, veg, 50g brown rice a day if you eat meat, 150g brown rice a day if you are a veggie, olive oil, (no mushrooms, dairy ((apart from natural live yoghurt)) no wheat and no potatoes)- this is just the first 5 day kick start and I'm not feeling deprived at all.

After that you can add back in potatoes, milk, cheese, wholewheat pasta and bread.

What I like is that apart from the rice everything else is unlimited so there's no counting involved.

Google news of the world lose weight fast with the 5 day bikini diet (sorry couldn't paste the link) it will give you a taste of how you could do the first 5 days - although in the book there are better variations/ideas/recipes

Are you Zoe?

no! just on a bit of a high that I'm finally seeing some weight loss after trying so many diets

thought i'd share it

So basically no bread or milk for first five days. I would like to start tomorrow but am waiting for book from amazon. What do you have for breakfast? I normally have toast or cereal, obviously both of these are out!! and for drinks normally tea, but can't drink tea black - Any suggestions.

I had bacon and eggs this morning. You can have puffed rice cereal with natural yoghurt - haven't tried that yet. Kallo do one you can get in any supermarket health shelf. Omelette (basically protein)

You're not allowed caffeine because apparently it stimulates insulin which is the fat storing hormone

I've been having decaf earl grey in the morning but then I'm not a milk fan at all so that's fine for me. After the 5 days you can have skimmed milk so I'll get myself some decaff coffee then as can't drink coffee black. Maybe just boiled water if you can't face black tea??? not sure

Ok - so am thinking boiled water as drinks throughout the day. Fruit for breakfast until I can get to supermarket to get some bacon. Tuna with loads of salad for lunch, and Pork steak with veggies for tea. Snacks in between if necessary (is that allowed) carrot or cucumber sticks etc.
Does that sound o.k. Sorry to be a burden, but am getting really desperate and your post sounds so inspirational. I really am thrilled for you and hope I can do the same. I hope my book doesn't take too long to arrive. Perhaps we could use this as a support thread until then, if you don't mind.

Everything sounds great but fruit not allowed as well in the first 5 days - sorry fimbles forgot to put that originally.

Have you got any eggs at home? Or ham or some sort of protein other than cheese that you could eat/face in the morning??

Will maybe make a ham omelette. Am thinking it might be better to wait until book arrives so that I do this properly. Should only be a couple of days. Thankyou so much for all your help. No doubt I will be in touch. Keep up the good work - you are doing so well

No problem at all! Definitely a better idea to wait for the book and have it all explained properly to you

FT - would love to hear how you got on after completion of phase one. My book is due to arrive Monday so will be starting then. Hows things going??

is it this book, fraggle?

I hope so ... thats the one I have ordered!!

It looks like a watered down version of Atkins , v. low carbs .

Looks to me that phase 1 is atkins-esque, but that's just 5 days - on her website she says "I've also been asked - is the diet low carb or low fat and the answer is neither. It is good carbs and good fats - in whatever quantities you want - just not at the same meal."

Sound potentially complicated, which might defeat me - the reviews on amazon are generally good tho

Riven this may interest you.

I haven't made up my mind either way, just doing some googling ... Might get the book ...

... useful summary here ...

But she does! A quote from the first link I posted: "A good carb lunch would be brown rice salad ? a decent portion of brown rice with lots of chopped salads mixed in."

This is what I've found her saying about Atkins:
"What about the atkins diet? It works! Millions of people in the Western world have lost weight on the Atkins diet and I take my hat off to them because they have way more will power than me (but possibly worse breath!) I, personally, would not want to go a day without cereal, milky cappuccinos, dark chocolate or nature?s finest treasure ? fruit.The Atkins diet works, but you just don?t have to go that far. It cannot be healthy to cut out fruit & grains altogether and to limit salads & vegetables, when these foods provide us with so many nutrients. You can eat a much wider variety of foods than is allowed on the Atkins Diet and still lose weight quickly and, arguably, much more safely."

And it seems to me she's very anti 'calories in and calories out', from what I've read. It's all very personal isn't it, this diet business. But I'm at that 'I need a new diet' moment and this sounds like it could be right for me right now

Yay!!! Book arrived this morning so away we go. Today is day one of phase one. Eggs and bacon for breakfast, tuna salad planned for lunch. Have had two pints of water so far which is unheard of for me, so have spent most of the morning on the loo!!!
Anyone fancy a support thread to get me through phase one??

Yep go for it fimbles altho I'll be a week behind - am on holiday at the moment - have ordered book and hopefully it'll be waiting for me when I get home so I'll start a week today.

Thanks Franch - It will be good to have some support. Day one nearly completed and not really hungry but feeling crap (really lightheaded and spaced out!!) The book says that this is to be expected as your body detox(s) but not liking it one bit. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

I am back on the atkins too!It is the only thing that has ever worked for me and if you keep low carb after the intro week you stay slim.Today I had egg abd bacon for breakfast tuna salad for lunch and tonight chicken breast with veg,not hungry at all but boring!