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

That is great Squid.

Questions for everybody :

Does it get easier?
Do you mind me asking how much you have to lose? I am about 20 pounds overweight

Hi hambler, yes it does get easier, I rarely get cravings, I no longer snack and most days only have about 2 meals. I am able to recognise when I am hungry and thristy now.

I now hate pasta and cake which a couple of weeks ago I couldn't live without. At about day 4 or 5 you will feel much better

BTW i am now on my 10th day.

I'm joining you today. Full of hope and optimism! How long will that last I wonder?

Just had a boiled egg, a bowl of Kallo and some mint tea for breakfast. Trying not to think about toast, jam and coffee!

Have decided to do to plan meals in advance - not something I usually do, but it might help me keep on the straight and narrow. So am off to the supermarket later today to get all the necessary stuff.

Good luck beonit and keep us posted.

Hello all.

Weighed myself today as phase 1 is now blessedly over and guess what? From what I weighed last time ( albeit on 30/07/09) I am half a stone lighter

Am so looking forward to milky coffee and toast and jam tomorrow, its pathetic!

beonit - I planned my phase 1 meals as I found it easier and I stuck to it too. Good luck.

Wow. Well done becaroo! That gives me renewed determination to stick to it.

Sadly I already did a big cheat - my childminder's little girl gave me a bun she had baked, and I just ate it without even thinking about it. Oops... Must try harder. Otherwise I have stuck to the rules so far though - will shortly be eating butternut squash curry which smells pretty good.

Hope others are doing OK.

Beonit

Well done Becaroo!
You must be thrilled. Do your clothes feel looser?

I have had a good day today but didn't have much for dinner. I don't feel hungry yet but I've got lots of yoghurt for when I do.

I'm going to stay with my pregnant sister for a few days. I really have to stay strong as she's eating all manners of cakes and desserts.
Only yesterday she baked her self some yummy apple flapjack cake thing. If it was from the shops then I wouldn't care but I find it hard to resist good wholesome home baking. And it wouldn't be fair of me to tell her to stop and deprive herself, would it?

Its going to be really hard. I've told myself that I can have dessert with her on Friday only and not at any other time.

Please send me some strong willpower vibes

Today I had

Porridge
tuna salad
left over lamb curry

Becaroo!!! That's amazing - well done you must be thrilled!

I'm still to start phase 1! There has been alcohol left over in the house since the weekend. Actually - it's not for the nicest of reasons - my family were staying because of a funeral we had to go to. They've all gone home now but I just couldn't quite shift myself into phase 1 thinking today. Ended up treating myself to an ice-cream with my DD's! And am now having a glass of wine.

I will start again to tomorrow!

Squid - stay strong - I need to start again tomorrow and not leave it any longer because I'm already feeling my muffin top returning.....and it's not a nice feeling.

Willpower vibes on their way to you Squid

Well done becaroo!!

You're right fraggle, just stop now and get back on track before you end up in a vicious circle. I'm sure you'll be fine, you've done so well.

Felt horrendous yesterday - really bad period and a headache that wouldn't go away despite painkillers. Cravings went crazy and I did end up having a few bits of potato and a touch of mint jelly with my roast lamb. Felt rotten and decided I'd stayed on phase 1 too long and would allow myself any phase 2 foods I felt like today.

Today, I feel fine again and don't even want any phase 2 foods, never mind chocolate or roast potatoes. Odd! I guess as well as the hormones settling it's now 4 days since my 'cheat' day so maybe it takes that long to beat them again.

Today I had:
kallo
leftover roast lamb with stirfried courgettes; yogurt
bolognese sauce and vegetables; yogurt

Been thinking about the idea that this is in fact a calorie-controlled diet by the back door. Can't say I've got my head round the science of it TBH, I just took this thing on because it seems to work and that's all I need to know. But I can't agree that it's calorie controlled. How many calorie-controlled diets would allow you, say, steak in a creamy sauce and salad with an oily dressing, followed by strawberries and lashings of cream? And as much of it as you liked? You could have that 3 times a day in phase 2 if you wanted.

Calorie control makes you hungry. If you go hungry on this diet (and arguably on any diet), it will not work.

That's how I understand it anyway.

Ooh can you really have strawberries and cream??? Whats the catch?

Sorry to hear you had to attend a funeral Fraggle. Its always a stressful time so I'm not surprised you didn't stick to it.
Its good that you feel like you can get back to it tomorrow - there's no way you want that muffin top back!
Good luck for tomorrow

Thanks guys -

totally agree Franch - you'd never be allowed all that on weight watchers or similar - just 1 portion of strawberries and cream would blow half your daily points allowance, let alone the steak in sauce!

Squid you can have strawberries/other berries and cream after a fat meal or berries and yoghurt after a carb meal if you want.

It's worrying how quickly I've started feeling fat again. Wondering whether I should start showing a lot more willpower when in company instead of just giving in and letting go to keep the peace. My mum said very tactfully that it's too early for me to start having 'weekends off'......and she's right!

Thanks for that Fraggle. I didn't know. I've not bought her book and used her website.

I won't be dessert deprived at my sisters after all

Oh yeah squid there you go! Plus - strawberries and cream are good for a pregnant lady too!!! You can both indulge guilt free

Hi all, sorry to here that you were at a funeral fraggle.

Fraggle I know what you mean by feeling fat again. I had some carbs last night and this morning I feel fat were as if I have a fat meal at night I feel thinner the next morning.

Good luck for the day ahead.

Today I am having
Break - shredded wheat + milk
Lunch - chicken and mozzarella cheese salad
Dinner - Chicken and roasted veg

Thanks Mammyto1

It's horrible feeling fat again isn't it? Your meals today sound yum though!

2 proteins and 1 carb meal seem to work for me I think.

Don't feel hungry for breakfast at the moment so will prob just have some natural yoghurt in a minute, rice salad for lunch, omelette for dinner.

Have a great day everyone (what is going on with the weather by the way!- we're all sat here with colds and I've got the heating on!)

I've failed miserably over the weekend - we visited three different friends/relatives and there was little I could eat there.

The first one was ok - I stuck to the protein and had cheese for pudding (no biscuits), but did have some wine. So that wasn't too bad, but I have to say I didn't feel good in myself for eating cheese and knowing how much fat is in it.

Then a relative's house where she'd made white bread sandwiches - I just felt too picky to take out the fillings and eat those especially as she's overweight and I'm just trying to lose a few pounds. So then I accepted the pudding!

Then another friend's on bank holiday Monday where it all really went to pot.

Even before all of this Phase 2 hadn't worked for me, I put on one and a half pounds despite sticking to it rigidly up until that point.

I was back in work yesterday, but also craving "naughty" things. My lunch of salad and fish didn't keep me full until it was time to come home, so I had a bag of fruit and nuts at about 4pm. Oh dear!

I'm still two pounds down from where I started, and have decided to go back to calorie counting but following some of Zoe Harcombe's principles - e.g wholefoods wherever possible and not mixing fats and carbs in the evening.

I think the diet probably works best if you have more control over your food environment and more willpower than I have, possibly also if you have more than a few pounds to lose. But good luck to everyone else!

TDMIC I am sorry things haven't worked out for you but you can still get support on this thread even if you do take up a new diet. Please don't feel you have to leave just because you have stopped ZH diet!!!

Keep us updated on how you get on

I fell off the diet wagon well and truly over the weekend so am psyching myself up to start again with Phase 1 tomorrow. My book arrived just before the weekend so I'm going to spend some time today having a read and hopefully getting myself back into the mindset.

I am on day 3 and feel TERRIBLE .
But determined

And I still think it is calorie restriction by the back door.
steak on WW - about 5 points for a decent sized one.
Strawberries - 1 point
cream - depending on how much, say 4 point for 2 tbsp double cream.

That's ten points and with lots of points free veg you would be stuffed, and the point is you would be very unlikely to WANT that 3 times a day.

And if you did have that three times a day(technically possible on Hardcombe) I do not believe you would lose weight.

I am clinging to the possibility it will deal with my carb cravings.
And the alcohol ones

Well I've had an interesting day.....

1st day of phase 2. I had toast and sugar free jam fof b fast but didint really enjoy it to be honest. My friend came over for lunch and brought loads of goodies from a deli and bakery near where she lives (she doesnt know about the diet).

So, to keep everyone happy at lunchtime I ate white garlic baguette and tomato soup and then had 2 small chocolate cupcakes and THEN she gets 2 massive caramel doughnuts out of her bag!!!!

Now, I love garlic bread and cupcakes but I would literally kill for doughnuts and you know what? I only had 4 pieces of garlic bread which I thought tasted odd, didnt enjoy the cupcakes and only took 4 bites of the doughnut before I felt sick I now feel awful....headache, feel sick and indigestion

I am starting to wonder if I have a problem with wheat??? Well, back on phase 2 tomorrow with a vengenace! Its just not worth it when you dont even enjoy eating it!

Hope todays misadventure doesnt screw things up for me totally

hambler I would like to lose 2 stone to get back to my pre pregnancy weight....have lost half a stone already (well, til todays fiasco!!)

We'll have to agree to disagree hambler The whole point is that calorie restriction is counterproductive - puts the body into starvation mode, slows the metabolism, makes weightloss increasingly difficult, causes hunger, cravings etc.

Anyway, let's just get on with the diet and to heck with the science!

No way can you screw things up permanently with a slip-up like that becaroo. Look at me and my feasting last Fri. Tho I know it feels very different when it's not planned. Sounds like you may have a wheat problem to me - I think I do too. Go for it tomorrow - you've done so well so far

Sorry it's not worked out for you TDMIC. Best of luck.

I've had a bit of a funny day. Had kallo for breakfast, then went out for lunch with the DDs to an American diner and went for the 'pulled pork' which comes with creamed corn and coleslaw. Wasn't sure about the ingredients of the last 2, but guessed they were phase 2-ish and had decided yesterday to allow myself phase 2 stuff if I feel the need, since I'm in my 3rd week. Then ended up having a couple of spoonfuls of the DDs' chocolate ice cream ...

Not big errors I guess, but really I should be being stricter after Friday's blowout. Anyway I didn't feel hungry at dinnertime - made some of ZH's tomato sauce for the DDs but it didn't appeal. Had a big tub of yogurt, then felt a bit of a cereal craving so had some more kallo - which makes 2 carb meals today and a bit of cheating. I think the thing that worries me most about it is that it feels a bit erratic - and it's erratic eating that got me here. Need to get organised and make everything a bit more planned.

Just 1 more day before weigh-in day, everyone - let's throw ourselves into this thing tomorrow