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

I have put 3lbs on too! I blame it all on my binge on Wednesday!
At least I've discovered now that my problem and trigger is bread. I'm staying away from all bread goods, even as a treat.

I'll go back to extreme strictness from tomorrow.

Can anyone tell me if coconut milk is allowed pleased?

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone

Poor Hambler and her dh! I hope you get good losses after all this.

Hi Squid

Don't worry about the gain. You'll shift it again after your birthday celebrations I know wheat is my problem too. I felt odd after my first bowl of shredded wheat after a long phase 1, and it kind of ruined the day for me, I had cravings, I felt bloated. Haven't had wheat for ages now and it really doesn't bother me. I can take it or leave it.

Coconut milk is allowed in all phases. She recommends it as it's non dairy and has properties that are good at fighting candida apparently.

Morning everyone
My first weigh in and I've lost.......6 lbs!!!!!!! I can't believe it, I really felt like I hadn't lost any at all, am really pleased
I've got my friends hen weekend starting today so am gonna try and stick to the rules as much as I can except for the alcohol of course!!!
I think I'm gonna carry on with Phase 1 for next week as I have a lot to lose, but at last I've made a good start
Congratulations to everyone who has lost, even 1 lb is still a loss beonit
Have a good weekend everyone

Well done everyone on your losses.

I have put 1.5lb on which I was expecting but still have 5.5lb off.

I think the coconut milk has to be the creamed version and mix it with some stock - It still takes good - very yummy

Goof luck for the weekend ladies!!!

well done Dizzy. It is so motivational to get a good loss.

Beonit, a pound loss in those circumstances is good.

Bit of a small disaster in the Hambler household. Dh has GAINED five pounds of the eight he lost on phase one
and it has been a real struggle for him.

He has stuck rigidly to the plan. He is really at a low, feeling yuk anyway and now discouraged by the gain.

Does anyone have any clue as to what might be going on?

He eats plenty within the rules and time frames, drinks plenty of fluids, has not yo-yo dieted for years.

I have lost one pound ,(like you, Fraggle, seemed rude not to althought t is only day 6 ) also following strictly with the exception of some wine last Saturday.

Aww hambler your poor DH - That must be gutting - How long have you both been doing it now and are either of you getting any better.

You could try and put everything down here that you and your DH eat daily to see if there could be something you may be doing wrong. I am no expert - just trying to help

Hambler - I'm so sorry to hear about your dh. I don't know what it could be. If he's been following the plan strictly then I would think it unheard of to gain 5 pounds in a week on it.

Wondering if maybe he might have an underlying condition or something - nothing serious obviously, but maybe his thyroid might be playing up or there's some sort of imbalance? Not sure - if he's feeling rubbish as well I would say maybe a gp visit? How annoying for you anyway. Hope next week's a better one for you

Great news Dizzy!! You must be really chuffed

Never mind Mammyto1 - 1.5lbs back isn't too bad. I know how you feel - it's nothing major, you kind of expected it but it's still a bit rubbish!! I

'm just not going to weigh myself now til next Friday. I just feel bloated annoyingly. Wondering if I'm not eating enough and am stalling. Now that DD1 is back at school I'm going to do a couple of exercise DVD's next week. Nothing major, just really desperate to shift this flippin muffin top

Well done Dizzy! Thats how much I lost and I was elated

Hambler write down what you and dh have been eating, maybe we can see if you've possibly confused things somewhere?

I'm off diet today but so far I've had

porridge
salmon, salad
nly
carb and fat loaded meal and dessert out (no alcohol though)

Back to phase 1 tomorrow....

ok here's today's menu.

Breakfast- porridge. fruit mid morning

Lunch ( 4 hours after fruit) - grilled chicken breast, roast peppers and courgettes

Dinner - scallops, green beans, courgettes.
Strawberries and about 1 tablespoon of single cream.

Yesterday was
breakfast - shredded wheat and banana
mid morning - oranges

Lunch : wholemeal pitta with cottage cheese, olives, cherry tomatoes.

Dinner - Prawn curry , salad.

Dh has bigger portions than me, but not huge. he also has more snacks but always adheres to the not eating fat and carbs within 4 hours of each other.

I don't think he is secretly bingeing on chocolate bars or anything!

Do you think he's got a wheat intolerance? I see yesterday you had pitta and shredded wheat.
Are you drinking lots of water?
Have you switched to decaff? Do you think he's drinking things like diet coke?
Just wondering whether his weight gain is actually just bloat if you see what I mean.

Thanks Fraggle.
I don't think he has a wheat intolerance.

Drinking lots of water, caffeine free coffee.

He does drink the occasional (max one a day ) can of caffeine free diet coke which ZH says is not ideal but ok in phase two.

I suppose if you look at it as an overall loss of 3 pounds in two weeks it is not that bad. Just really gutting to lose 8 in the first 5 days then gain 5 in the next 6! And it is making me doubt the whole concept of the diet. I will keep going though.

Hambler you are doing everything right as far I can see. How about trying to cut out the wheat as this could be the reason you feel crap and you might not realise it - Try cutting it out for a few days and see what happens. You can get rye bread which doesn't taste too bad.

Hambler your menu looks really good. If you stick to just that menu and cut back on the snacks, you should lose loads of weight.
Try to cut out the diet coke as, as well as being bad for you anyway, it can inhibit weight loss. There have been studies done. Just google it.

I think phase 2 is really difficult to switch to. I think its quite easy to put weight on on it thats why I'm going to try to stick to phase one for a while.

I had a delicious meal out last night and I'm back on phase 1 today. I'm going to stick to it for 2 weeks now except for a couple of meals out that I've planned.

Its quiet here today.

I'm justr going to put down what I've had for the day so I'm not temted to eat anything else.

porridge
cheese omelette and salad
nly
lamb curry, fried courgette (good idea -thanks!) and raita

It's is quiet today Squid!

Your meals for today sound yum!

I had a real willpower moment this afternoon. Almost almost caved and had a few biscuits with my tea. But I managed to fight it.

I've been a little miffed about this plateau I've been stuck in, and I was a bit bored today!

So glad I didn't though as I've been reading up on getting over a plateau - I've increased my water but think I need to eat a bit more (snacking a bit on NLY and other things) and not go too long without eating to keep the metabolism ticking over.

Anyway today I had

NLY
Salmon steak and fried courgette
Roast chicken and roast veg

Hi all, just checking in briefly. Weighed myself on Fri and had lost another 2lb so that's 8lb down, 9lb to go.

Had the weekend off for my birthday (today) and DD2's party (yesterday). Had a few slices of cake over the weekend, a Jamaican patty and a gorgeous Thai feast last night (including dessert but no rice).

Will get back on the plan tomorrow, and if I'm in trouble weight-wise on Fri I'll go back on phase 1 for a bit. Just have to be alert for cravings the next couple of days.

Hambler - sorry to hear about the trouble your DH is having - it does seem strange and must feel really frustrating. I agree about eating just 3 times a day - try that for a week (ie no snacks) and see what happens. That may mean he has to eat more at each meal to avoid getting hungry before the next one. Good luck and do keep posting what you're eating here - I find it helps me a lot.

Hey Happy Birthday to you too Franch and congrats on the 2lbs loss . You and your DD are like me and DD1 - we have 1 day between our birthdays in October. Hope her party went well and don't blame you for having loads of cakes and lovely foods!

Today I had
bacon & eggs
NLY
brown rice pasta and tomato sauce
Roast chicken and roast veg
NLY

I've been drinking lots more water and snacking on NLY to help get me off this plateau - apparently keeping the metabolism ticking over by feeding it regularly can kickstart weight loss again.

Going to exercise a little this week too I think and not going to weigh myself til Friday

Morning everyone
Am a bit gutted this morning, I've weighed myself and put 5 lbs on of the 6 lbs I lost
I have been on a hen weekend tho with loads of booze and altho I couldv'e said no it would've been rude to
Anyway, I'm gonna stick to phase 1 again this week and hopefully it'll come off again

Hi all - I have been completely crap lately but I am starting a fresh tomorrow on phase 1.

Dizzy you will probably find that extra weight will be gone by Friday. It just takes your body a few days to recover from the drink fest.

Day 1 for me today. I was very disorganised and ended up with cold pork and raw veg for lunch. I've just eaten bacon and eggs for tea.

Thanks fraggle

You have my sympathy Dizzy - you can't have a teetotal hen weekend! Am sure it'll all come off again.

Good start Candlewax

Well I'm disappointed with myself. After my weekend off I was back on track again today but could feel the cravings, inevitably, creeping back. Didn't give in to chocolate after lunch, didn't have a patty for dinner, but then after dinner binged on crisps left over from DD2's party. Bleeurgh

Well at least that's all the party food gone now .....

Really need to focus tomorrow. I felt great in the dress I wore for my birthday, and in another new one I wore today. Don't want to go back to hiding in loose clothes - smocks are out, apparently!

Hello, another big fan here can I join in?

I'm STILL waiting for my book from Amazon, so relying on the She article (which by all accounts is far better written).

I've found that when I've eating something 'off the plan' its because I consciously wanted it, not because I stuffed it in without thinking (think hitting the biscuit tin at stressful times!). Its also made me feel yukky afterwards, and not really worth it.

But more importantly than the weight going, my cravings have disappeared, my energy is up, and my foggy head has lifted.

You are right, it might just change your life

Welcome OFFS I certainly agree about feeling yukky!

How far into the plan are you?

OFFS - Love the name!! and welcome.

Today I am having
Kello
Veggie soup and a tuna salad
Unsure about dinner yet

How's everyone today?