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

Hmm, I wonder if I'll manage it straight after getting back from holiday, and with the DDs still around 24/7. I could leave it till term starts again but the longer I leave it the heavier I get, and I do feel I should strike while the iron's hot etc.

I tried Neris & India's Idiot-Proof Diet - a version of Atkins - almost exactly a year ago and (a) I lost no weight and (b) it made me very sick a few days in and I missed my wedding anniversary (not gifted at timing, am I).

I may have been doing something wrong but in that case it is certainly not idiot-proof and not for me.

The drawback of this diet is it's possibly got even more potential to trip me up. However it does look healthier and more balanced than Atkins, and it does allow cereal for breakfast which is a major thing for me.

It's featured in She magazine - they really like it. The sub editor says she lost 8lb in 5 days.

Franch - If you are anything like me then I would recommend you strike whilst the iron is hot. Don't put it off for too long. I know I'm nagging but I have been there, starting each day with, I'll begin tomorrow and here I am having put on over a stone in six months (athough I am a binge eater
Have a lovely holiday and then go for it. Although, this is the first time I have tried this sort of diet, and I felt really rough by the time I went to bed last night, but then as her book says "I have so much rubbish in my body to detox".

Yeah, you're right fimbles. The longer you leave it the more you end up having to lose. I'm a binger too.

Am a bit scared of the sick phase tho. I felt like I was dying last time, which is why I wouldn't do a straight Atkinsy diet again. But I like the more balanced approach of this one and think it may be something I could stick with.

Hi everyone I'm back - had family staying for a week and ended up giving in and eating what everyone else was eating (boozy evenings and takeaways basically!!)

I still can't abstain from booze when everyone else is drinking.

....but to be honest, I didn't really mind because I continued phase 1 for 9 days just before they arrived and had lost 8lbs in all. I've never seen weightloss like that before.

I've put about 2lbs back on since the family have been here but thankfully they've gone now - got a bbq tomorrow but then I'm starting again Monday with no social events planned for a while so am really going to get into it.

I'll prob do a 5 day phase 1 blast and then go straight to Phase 2 as I hadn't started that yet.

Glad a support thread seems to be starting

Hi Fraggle!! Good to see you back as need lots of help with this. I completed phase one on Friday and was a little disappointed as only lost 2.5lbs, but having said that I feel absolutely amazing and it was soooo easy. I am hoping that I would have lost more had it not been time of the month!! so am hoping to see a greater loss this week. I have found it quite difficult over the weekend to reintroduce certain foods, it is amazing the reaction you can get. I had one of the childrens wine gums and rolled around with agonising stomach cramps for half an hour afterwards. On the up side my cravings for chocolate, biscuits, crisps and sweets have completely gone and haven't touched (apart from the 1 wine gum - never again!!) any of these for well over a week. I am still trying to get my head around phase two, and would love some ideas for lunch as am getting fed up with salad. I thought once I could eat bread again it would be easier but now with the no fat with carb rule I have nothing to put in my sandwich!!

Veg soup + bread, fimbles?

Thanks Franch - I think you are right.. I need to make a giant batch of homemade soup (can you freeze it??) to keep me going especially when I go back to work. So.... have you started phase one today?? If so, good luck to you and if you need to chat you know where I am X

Hi Fimbles - that's great news your cravings have gone. I don't think you will lose as much as hoped when you're on. I really retain water so you probably would have shown a good 2 or 3lbs more loss at a different time of the month.

I'm going to have protein breakfast, carb lunch, protein dinners at that seems to work well for me

Bfast
eggs mainly for bfast (bacon omelette, poached haddock with poached egg on top, bacon and eggs) or I quite like the Kallo puffed rice and yoghurt (didn't think I would but it's quite nice) or yoghurt with berries is allowed.

Lunches
macaroni cheese & spinach bake (wholemeal pasta, cottage cheese mixed with spinach) with grilled tomatoes
Veg Curry & brown rice (her butternut squash curry is yum. it made me about 4 or 5 portions - really nice with yoghurt on top and french beans with it as quite spicy)
Veg Chilli & rice
pasta/rice salad with olive oil dressing
Homemade veg & bean soup with wholemeal bread

Dinners
Pork chops, thin cut fried courgettes (my fave at the mo - can't do thick cut courgettes) grilled toms any veg
Roast chicken with stuffed aubergines
Any meat any veg basically

Still haven't started today - we're skint so have to wait til payday this week so I can fill up the fridge with healthy foods again til then it's frozen stuff i.e additive central!

Yep you can freeze veg soup fimbles - that's my plan too. There are some good recipes on here, both via the archive and in the recipes section.

Yes I've started today! Haven't received book yet so am using info on website and Zoe H's 5-day bikini blitz as a guide.

Had porridge made with water (not as bad as expected) for breakfast (have now bought the Kallo stuff too), and lunch out: steak and salad. Am still getting cravings of course and peckish between meals today so for now am snacking on natural live yogurt as she says you can have as much of this as you want - hope this is ok. Am not having high-fat yogurt anytime close to a protein meal.

fraggle: is wholemeal pasta ok? From the online info I've seen she says rice pasta - ?

How are you feeling Franch?? Do you feel at all lightheaded/spaced-out? I had cravings until about day three and then they just up and went... yippee!!!, but I must admit I felt really crap for the first few days, but apparently that is to be expected, so keep at it. I am not sure that you can have pasta in phase 1 although I will let Fraggle confirm that, but I have looked at the book and can only see pasta appear in phase 2 and then she recommends wholemeal. I have just cooked a massive batch of tomato sauce to have with pasta and it smells fantastic - I hope it tastes as good. Keep at it and keep in touch X

Oh forgot to ask - where can I buy this Kallo cereal?

Thanks Fimbles. Not feeling too bad, just tired (to be expected - we only got back from holiday last night) - and yes I guess pretty spaced out.

I got my Kallo cereal from Ocado/Waitrose

BTW I weighed myself this morning and have 1st 3lb to lose. Fingers crossed ...

I'm having a similar problem to you fraggle in that the food that arrived this morning was ordered before I came across this thread (ie pre-holiday). Plus no book! I'm now eating an 'innocent' veg pot which I ordered as a healthy option but I've a feeling is non-phase-1 as it has chickpeas and other beans in it, plus possibly more than 50g brown rice.

Are beans and pulses forbidden till phase 2?

Can I join you?

I am just doing the 5 day phase at the moment and I will let you know how it is going.

Welcome Dolly - It is good to have someone else on board. Good Luck with phase 1. Let us know how you are getting on. Sorry Franch can't seem to find anything in book relating to beans and pulses in phase 1, but that could mean it is alright to have them??? It says you can have any salad or veg with the exception of mushrooms and potatoes. Hope that helps, but hopefully fraggle will be along soon.

Hi Franch Fimble Dolly, wholemeal pasta only allowed in phase 2.

I had rice noodles in phase 1 with fresh tomato sauce which was really nice. You can also get brown rice penne pasta which I think is made by Doves Farm - an organic company - I've seen it in Tesco. That's fine for phase 1 as well. I bought rice pasta which was the white variety and then when I got the book realised that comes under processed food so not allowed, as things should be as 'whole' as possible by phase 2.

mind you the rice noodles were white - but I think they would be anyway as they are so thin but that they come from brown rice.

Beans chickpeas and all that allowed in phase 2 not phase 1

Jacket potatoes too! Yum

You'd only be allowed 75g of brown rice pasta in phase 1 by the way (as that's what was allowed of the rice noodles) or 50g brown rice.

By phase 2 you don't need to weigh anything and you can have normal wholemeal pasta

Sorry - the jacket potato comment was also about phase 2 in case I confused anyone!

Last one - the weights of the rice and pasta in Phase 1 are the dry weight before cooking

Hope that all helps ;D

Hi dolly

Many thanks fraggle. Pity I seem to have erred yesterday but had a sneaky weigh this morning and have lost more than 2lb already. I don't expect that every day but it's enough encouragement to persevere.

Thanks for the white/brown pasta tip

Am very proud of myself for not giving into major chocolate cravings yesterday!

Thats fantastic Franch - Keep it up. Trust me the cravings will go. You have now lost more than I lost all week...but I read in the book that in some cases if your body has been completely bombarded with rubbish for so long it cannot adjust to the change in eating habit immediately, so in some cases you should revert back to phase 1 after a few weeks and have another go. Apparently there have been cases where people have only lost a 1lb the first time they tried it but then 9lbs the next. Thats the good thing you can revert back to phase 1 whenever you feel like a boost (I think). But anyway thats not you, you are doing so well, and are losing masses. So carry on, if phase 1 did anything for me it was to rid me of cravings and I feel like a new person again.

That's really encouraging fimbles thanks!

I think I'll post a 'Harcombe' thread title linking to this thread so that others can find us more easily - the support is so helpful

Done.

Just had the Kallo cereal with some soya milk as I ate my whole pot of fat-free live yogurt yesterday! It tastes as you'd expect plain puffed brown rice to taste .... The upside is that you're allowed up to 100g, which is 2 large bowlfuls. Breakfasts are a big thing for me which is one of the reasons giving up carbs didn't work for me - I'm not a fan of cooked breakfasts and never have time anyway. Looks like on Phase 2 I can have porridge, soy milk, yogurt and fruit which is one of my favourite breakfasts.

Anyone know where nuts fit in?