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

Hi GettingBusy, I think I've read on one of the other posts here that Zoe Harcombe is vegetarian so presumably the diet should be easily adjusted for vegetarians. I can't really help with your questions as my book hasn't arrived yet but hopefully someone else will be able to answer them soon.

I was a bit confused about the headaches as I hardly ever have caffeine but in the end I put it down to cutting out sugar and the additives in processed food. I am now feeling so much better than I did at the beginning of the week. I started off feeling a bit tired, headachy and dazed at times but yesterday and today I have really improved and feel much better.

Hi GettingBusy - welcome along! Zoe is a vegetarian - in her book she has a Phase 1 and phase 2 planner for veggies.

You can have up to 150g brown rice a day compared to 50g for meat eaters. There is no limit on olive oil.

From phase 2 You can have hummus but she says go easy and don't have lashings upon lashings as it's chickpeas are a fat and a carb together.

Hey SquashedFrogs - congrats on the loss - it's all going in the right direction! Thanks for your kind words - I didn't actually mean to start a thread - I thought loads of people would be on it!!

Aha fraggletits - I'd missed the bit where she says chickpeas are a fat and a carb together - I thought she said that only about nuts.

That would probably explain why I seem to have put on one-and-a-half pounds this week, bringing my total weight loss in almost two weeks to 2-and-a-half pounds.

But, my body fat has gone down 2% (I have a body fat scales), my tummy is slimmer and I feel great. I only want to lose about 7lb in total (or until a particular blouse stops straining across my boobs, whatever weight that might be).

I'd moved onto Phase 2 at the start of the week and had been having unlimited carbs in the carbs meals - beans, chickpeas, wholemeal rice as well as porridge with fruit (made with water) for breakfast.

From today I'm going back to one carb, two fat meals a day as I think that's what works for me, but will go for lower-fat "fats" eg chicken, tuna rather than red meat and full fat cheese as I didn't feel great knowing all that cholesterol was going in, even though I lost 4lb the first week.

I haven't gone back to wheat yet and did cheat last night - two glasses of dry sparkling wine to celebrate dd's GCSE results and a grilled burger and salad (no bread) at an American diner (I know processed meat isn't allowed, but it was the only thing on the menu close to the diet and which wasn't deep-fried).

I also had a few spoonfuls of the dc's dessert - bananas and strawberries in cream and ice-cream. And then decaf coffee.

I've just made a lovely fresh filter decaf coffee with skimmed milk, whisked with one of those little battery-powered hand whisks - it makes the milk creamy and frothy and feels like a treat.

This thread is taking off well!!!

Well done on all the losses and good luck for the weekend.

I did have brown pasta last night for the 1st time since starting the diet. I had a bowl full and was looking forward to eating it but got half way through and was full up and no longer enjoying it!!

That wouldn't have been me 2wks ago thats for sure.

Really am about to set off now ... (just can't keep away )

TDMIC it's all trial and error isn't it ... But chickpeas are a carb (like other beans) - it's hummus that's a mix, because of all the oil

See you all tomorrow

Franch have a fantastic time!!!

Thanks for your answers everyone. Just tried to order the book on Amazon, but they're out of stock . So, another question...

In phase 2, can I get away with making my own oven chips just brushing with olive oil? I was thinking I could probably do a garlicky dip with fat free yoghurt and lemon juice? Or am I not thinking 'diet' enough?

Hello all!

Happy Anniversary Franch.

Well, started today....got a funny taste in my mouth. Have only drunk water today so far as I cant stand black tea and coffee...roll on phase 2 and the milk and potatoes!
Have had;
Dry rice puff cereal for b fast
Egg salad for lunch
and am planning fish and steamed veg for tea...feel hungry but was at my friends and she had made caramel biscuits and I DIDNT HAVE ONE!!!!!

As usual I have some questions:
1.Can you have wholemeal bread in phase 2 with veg soup?
2.Can you eat shop bought mayo?

I think I remember reading in the book that you can have chips made that way, getting busy.

Has anyone else found that 100g of the rice puff cereal is a HUGE portion???? I only weighed out half of that and then only managed to eat half of that amount! Will be glad when I can have it with skim milk, though! Could you have some in the day as a snack do you think, as long as you didnt go over the 100g??? (although i dont see how you could eat that much!!!)

I've been reading this thread and you are all inspiring me! Congratulations to you all. I've got the book and plan to start on Tuesday (after the bank holiday, when DH is safely back at work - less temptation around...)

I want to lose about 22lb, and have wanted to do so for a very long time. I have generally rejected the idea of dieting, believing that eating 'healthily' would do the trick, but clearly it hasn't (or I haven't). I would be so excited if this actually worked, but am worried as I have rubbish willpower. I think I will most miss bread, cheese and wine in phase 1 but I suppose if I just keep telling myself it's only 5 days, maybe I can get through it.

See you next week!

Beonit

Ooh - second that question on the wholemeal bread - maybe if homemade with olive oil instead of butter?

Anyway, thanks all so far. Am planning to start on Sunday, so shall be going through recipe books to see what I can alter now. And checking back in as I'm at how well you're all doing

Yes you can have wholemeal bread in phase 2.

No you can't eat shop bought mayo as it is processed and will have sugar in it. She says you can make your own which apparently is quite easy - just egg yolks and olive oil in a blender I seem to remember someone saying! This thread moves so fast!

Franch is right re the hummus TDMIC, not me, i'm still hungover from wednesday night!

Gettingbusy - Yes you can make chips in phase 2 but you have to leave the skins on.

becaroo - you can have wholemeal bread but there can't be any sugar added and you can't have any shop bought mayo only homemade.

Good luck beonit I think you will be very surprised at how easy the diet is.

I made home made mayo on Wednesday and it was really not as hard as I thought. I did have an electric whisk though and I made the mistake of following a Delia recipe which added a clove of garlic. It was nice but too strong - I ended up giving it away for being too garlicky. It's good to know I could do it again and have mayo with food instead of depriving myself in future.

Sorry just realised I repeated other people but I was at work and took me 40mins to write that

Today I had:
Eggs
Left over pasta but hardly touched it
spag bol without the pasta and loads of veggies.

Anyone else gone off pasta? I can't stand it anymore!

Mammyto1 - yes know what you mean about pasta. Was so looking forward to brown rice pasta after 3 weeks of phase 1, made a mound of it with cottage cheese and spinach and was huffing and puffing after 3 or 4 forkfuls as just couldn't eat it.

Are we just being taught our limits and we're shocked by them???

It's just wierd being able to take or leave food and to not obsess over it either

Hi all, well day 1 nearly over and I dont feel great to be honest

I feel quite lightheaded (and hungry) but I am determined to do the 5 days....I think I feel so bad because my diet was so poor before and I think candida is a big problem for me.

Can I ask on average in phase 2 how many eggs people are eating per day?

Anyone got the recipe book - is it worth buying?

Its a great feeling, isn't fraggle? its been so easy and my skin is looking fantastic too, my spots are all gone. I think thats having no sugar for a week.

Becaroo I had 4 aggs this morning because I knew I had to keep filled up for 6 hours but at lunch I wasn't even hungry.

You do realise you can eat as much meat, fish, chicken and veggies as you want. If your hungry why don't you have some eggs or chicken or veggies?

Or even natural live yogurt. You don't have to be hungry but she does warn you might feel crap because you are detoxing your body and refusing sugar etc

Becaroo I felt awful on my 1st day too and realised that I wasn't eating enough.
What have you eaten today? (I felt a bit rubbish for the next 2 days too but wasn't hungry. I feel great now )
Every day I've been starting the day with 75g of porridge made with water (this has kept me full til lunch) and then have had a good size protein with lots of veg/salad for lunch and dinner followed by some yoghurt.

Today I had
Porridge
butternut squash soup, yoghurt
more soup and 3 small chicken thighs

The chicken was marinated in a nandos sauce which contains sugar. I know thats not really allowed but what the heck. I took the skin off too.

Ah don't worry squid. I have had a few glasses of wine tonight. Oops.

Its Friday on a bank holiday weekend! We need to chill sometimes too

hang on in there becaroo - it really really does get better. And in a day or 2 as well. Like mammyto1 says, just fill yourself up on all the allowed food - and if you feel really horrid, treat yourself to a nice bath and go to bed early!

Great news about your skin Mammy1. I noticed mine was looking much better after a week or so as well. Definitely due to the sugar I think.

Good Morning All

I'm amazed to have lost 3lb in 4 days!

I haven't been very strict and I had The Girls over one night and wine and food was involved.
However I've tried to stick to the principles in Phase 2 and already my jeans feel a bit looser and I can really imagine for the first time getting back into my pre-pregnancy clothes.

I'm even looking forward to eggs for breakfast today!

Franch- do 'fess up about your fab meal