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

Fraggle! That's brilliant, well done

I had the same experience as you with lunch today squid - weird isn't it!

Welcome Candlewax

Yep squid and fraggle, I'm still marvelling at the lack of temptation. Any little pangs I do feel (like when DD1 got a bar of chocolate out after lunch today) evaporate miraculously. Totally new experience. Just shows there's definitely something in this thing

Fraggle thats amazing - How long did that take to lose?

I must say I have been thinking of cake more today than any other day. BUT haven't touched a bit!!

Maybe Zoe has brainwashed us! I was in the pub last night and everyone had a big steak and chips and I just had a starter (squid funnily enough!) and that was absolutely fine. I didn't feel deprived, I actually felt I'd eaten a big meal along with everyone else. (did drink loads of wine though - which thankfully didn't affect the weight loss)

Meant to say congrats on the anniversary Franch - Le Gavroche sounds lovely - really go for it and have a great night I say!

Hi Mammy1 - it's been just over 3 weeks. Amazing really. I did do phase 1 for most of it though - have only just started phase 2 this week. But, I'm very happy with it and for the first time ever actually feel like weightloss is easy

She does say in her book somewhere it's like being let in on a secret and that's how I feel!

Wow thats fantastic!!!! I would be happy with just a pound a week off

Hi all

Well, its D (diet) day for me tomorrow!!! Am dreading it really as I know phase 1 will make me feel really ill which is the reason I am doing it over a weekend so dh can help out with the dc!

I have some questions;
My SIL is really interested in doing it too but wants to know;
a) can she have honey?
b) can you have olive oil on salad as a dressing even with a carb meal i.e. jacket potato and salad?
I couldnt find the answers in the book...any help appreciated!

Wish me luck!!!

Well done fraggle - nearly a stone in 3 weeks - thats fab!

Hi Becaroo

Thanks for that.

You can't have honey as it's a sugar, but you can have olive oil as dressing with either fats or carbs.

HTH

Dh has just told me that I'd lost weight

Today has been fairly easy. I wasn't even tempted by those muffins we baked for a second. Although I did come across a bag of chilli heatwave doritos and felt a pang of desire. Luckily, they were n't open otherwise I may have had a willpower fight on my hands!

I'm really used to not snacking now. I hope I can make this a lifetime habit.

Today I had
75g porridge
chilli, veg and yoghurt
salmon and a load of onion, tomato, green chilli salsa type concoction

Good luck Becaroo!
Hope its not as bad as you think (although, I really struggled till day 3 was over)

Best of luck Becaroo

That's lovely squid Agree about the snacking - thanks for pointing that out for me yesterday. I think it makes things easier long-term if you don't snack because there aren't millions of choices to make every moment of the day IYKWIM. What did your chilli have in it, out of interest? I'd like to have chilli but would normally have beans in it.

Today I had
75g porridge, made with water, + a splash of soya milk
mkenzie's butternut squash soup + sardines and salad; yogurt
Cajun salmon, roasted courgettes and other green veg; yogurt

My chilli had lamb mince, red pepper, carrots, peas, onion, garlic, tomato, green chilli, spices. I guess it wasn't a proper chilli but it was nice. Just pad it out with loads of veg instead.

Soup recipe looks good.
I didn't think to have soup. You can have soup with a fat meal, can't you?
That would mean I wouldn't need to eat so much protein.

That sounds a nice chilli Squid - I'll do that. Yep soup is just veg so you can have it with fat or carbs. That butternut squash soup is quite thick and filling (and yummy) so I just had a couple of little sardines afterwards. My plan is to fill the freezer with a variety of soups, in portions, and use them as 'instant' lunches when the DDs are at school. I'll probably have some kind of wheat-free bread (rye/pumpernickel) with it once I'm on phase 2.

Mmmmmm bread. I can't wait for phase 2! Soup and bread. Sounds like heaven
I actually can't wait to eat lentils either!
Its a good idea to have something ready for lunches.

I think I'll have that soup tomorrow.

I had the chilli topped with cucumber raita. Its lovely and makes it a bit 'lighter', iykwim (and takes some of the heat off )

Good morning all - Weighed myself today and I have lost 5.5LBS since Sat - Woohooo

I am so so so so happy, can't remember the last time I was this weight - It must be at least 4 yrs.

Pound and a half and I will have hit the 3 stone mark and it has taken me over 2yrs to get here.

WELL DONE mammy! Fantastic news.

My weigh-in (won't be hard to beat ...

0 lb this week
4lb total in 11 days
13lb to go

Am off for my anniversary now - back tomorrow and will be needing all your support - will try to enjoy it and not worry. Just hoping it's all PMS.

Well done mammyto1!
Don't worry about it Franch. You've still lost overall (and it prob is water retention due to pmt). Forget about it and enjoy your weekend (within reason ). Maybe you could start on phase 1 again next week?
Congratulatins btw!

I am on day 5 and have lost 5.5lbs! I'm really pleased as I really struggled and wondered if it was even working for me!

Franch 4lbs is still a lot of weight for less than 2 weeks. Have a good anniversary and get back on it tomorrow - don't be too hard on your self

oh and 22.5lbs more to go.

Squid well done thats fantastic!!!!

Just peeking in before I set off - WELL DONE squid!!! Really pleased for you.

Thanks for the support squid & mammy You're right, previously I would've considered 4lb an awful lot for 11 days.

Squid I haven't moved onto phase 2 yet - stayed on phase 1 in anticipation of today. And yes, will stay on it a bit longer, esp as I have my and DD2's birthdays coming up shortly after this!

Well done Mammy and Squid! That's fantastic news.

Don't worry Franch it is all PMS. I didn't lose at all when premenstrual either.

Thinking about it last night I've actually lost 12lbs in 4 weeks (not quite 13 in 3 as I thought yesterday!) Should maybe start writing it down.

And that was basically doing phase 1 all the way, only starting phase 2 this week.

Am having the weekend off as have friends staying so will re-start phase 1 on monday I think.

Have a great weekend everyone - Franch can't wait to hear how your anniversary dinner goes!

Morning all,

I'm now on Day 5 and have lost 2lbs. I'm planning to keep on with phase 1 for a few more days to hopefully shift a bit more weight.

I was starting to feel a bit disappointed with my result (particularly compared to Squid & Mammy - big congratulations to you both!) but when thinking about it this is only the start of the fifth day so 2lbs is still pretty good compared to other diets particularly when, headaches and moods aside, I really haven't found this too hard to keep up.

Happy Anniversary franch, have a good weekend and don't worry about your latest results, PMS has a lot to answer for.

Becaroo - good luck with the start of diet today.

fraggle, thanks for starting this thread, 12lbs in 4 weeks is a great result and so much more encouraging than the results weightwatchers ever got me. As an added bonus I don't have the cravings and urge to snack that I usually have permanently (diet or not ) which makes other diets so hard to stick to.

Hello all

I've been lurking on this thread for a while, and I've decided I'd really like to try this diet. Apart from anything else, we're going to a wedding next month and my dress is just a little bit too tight

I have a couple of questions though, before I send off for the book. I'm a vegetarian, and I've found diets hard to follow before because of this.

1. What do you do for your essential fatty acids in the first 5 days? Does she say anything about this? Obviously I can't eat usual nuts and seeds, but as I don't eat fish I'm not sure how this will work.

1. Is there a limit to how much olive oil counts for cooking in phase 2? For example, could I make hummus as a carb meal? Or is that not allowed because there's sesame paste? I'd really miss hummus!

Thank you for any help you can give me with this.

And if it helps all of you, you may find that the headaches you've been getting are caffeine withdrawal - they will pass