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

3 out of 4 days??!! Short week that was. 3 out of 7 I think I meant ...

I'm working all day Sat, Mon and Tue and lunches are going to be provided (eek). What cold packed lunches can you guys recommend? I was thinking of doing a veg tortilla one day, and maybe some rice pasta on another - they're both ok cold. Rice salad, I guess.

All ideas gratefully received

Well done Franch!!!

Were is fraggle haven't seen her round much this week?

If I was having a cold lunch I would probably get a salad with chicken, salmon or tuna.
You could add your rice to bulk it out. I do cheap a bit with my salad and have a balsamic and pepper dressing from the co-op, its delish and doesn't make you feel depreived.

Hope that helps!!

thanks mammy

Thanks Franch, choc craving does seem a bit better today, think perhaps now Im starting Phase 2 and less restricted ( but more complicated ! ), then that has made a difference. The best NLY Ive found is M&S Probiotic Greek Style, its like eating double cream and flippin gorgeous !

Got on the scales this morning and managed to have put on 2Lbs since yesterday, no idea how, as actually ate less yesterday and totally stuck to the plan AND worked out for 35 mins !! Hopefully tomorrow will be a better weigh in.

2bay, if you look at my account of the first week or two on this thread, you'll see I weighed myself far too often and was quite put off by the weight fluctuation. (6lb off then 3lb back on, etc.) Touch wood since weighing myself once a week the trend has always been downwards!

Think I need to wean myself off the daily weigh in then...I think what it is, is that I still cannot quite believe that you can loose weight, whilst eating as much as you like of things like bacon and eggs and in Phase 2, cheese etc, but you are right, I must believe, as Ive seen the proof this week ( still down 4.5Lbs, with the 2lbs increase )and will resist a weigh in until next Fri !

What has been people's weight loss in the first week of Phase 2 ?

I have stuck on my 5 pound weight loss now. I have been sticking to it but have had a bit of choc - ony green and blcks dark choc though so nothing terrible. Although I guess I should be trying to stop eatingit all together.
I will give it anohter weekand then get back on to phase one if things don't strt moving agian.

I have lost nothing in phase 2 so far (5 days)

Can I check something please....NLY, Ive been eating the full fat variety, as I thought this is what you were meant to have in Phase 1 ? This is because Phase 2 specficially refers to Low Fat Yoghurt, when you have a carb meal and this made me think that NLY with fat meals and for snacks or Low Fat NLY with carbs meals and snacks ? Have I got this wrong...??

You're right re phase 1 NLY 2bay.

Phase 2: low fat with carb meals
full fat OR low fat with fat meals

Just be careful about eating full-fat NLY as a snack within 3 or 4 hours of eating a carb meal.

I lost nowt in my first week on phase 2 Cesario. Dunno why - PMS maybe or maybe that's how it goes. Steady weightloss since then and 12lb lost so far.

Franch, you could have wholemeal pitta bread with houmous and salad for lunch too.

Hope everyone has had a good week

Hey everyone -

Hi Mammy! I've been absolutely useless this last week. A couple of the days I did start off well but then just caved as the day went on. I think it's because it's me and dd1's birthdays next week and that I know I'm going to be out and there will be chocs and cakes and all sorts knocking about all week that I've just succombed this week as well.

I did weigh myself this morning and I've gained 1.5lbs - not the end of the world and not as much as I thought actually.

Franch - congrats on the loss!! That's great news - you're almost there

Cesario - I got stuck in a plateau a while back - I was really frustrating but I just kept at it - upped my water intake and made sure I was eating lots not less and eventually I noticed it starting to shift again. Don't lose heart.

Hi 2Bay - I second what Franch said - don't weigh in everyday - I've done it too and it can be really off putting. I'm going to try that M&S yoghurt when I get back on the diet - it sounds yummy.

Gald to see you back fraggle, thought we lost you

No I'm still here and still a believer!

Hi all, well I've been doing Phase 1 since Sunday so I guess that's my 5 days - only a couple of teeny cheats like a small handful of cashew nuts, I was starving and had nothing else to hand! I also had a glass of wine tonight to celebrate and have had the occasional cup of coffee, way less than normal though. I have lost about 5 lbs, will confirm tomorrow when I weigh myself. I feel better, less bloated, and one thing I have noticed is that my energy levels are more stable and I have felt strangely calmer, a bit less stressed, maybe because my blood sugars are stable. I'm going to do a strict sort of P2 as I want to stay off bread, pasta and potatoes for a while but I do want to eat cheese again. I am happy with a basically low carb life but I like the puffed rice for breakfast. I guess the wholemeal rice cakes would also be a reasonable carb, since they are only rice and nothing else? Anyway I am glad I have finally made a start but I have a long way to go - according to the BMI tables in the book I need to lose about 30lbs to get to a healthy BMI.

Well I went to the pub tonight. Was a good girl and drove so I couldn't drink. Had half a shandy then for some mad reason decided to have a coke. Felt a bit weird and buzzy then suddenly so exhausted and horrible that I was worried I would fall asleep driving home. So left early and now feel very rubbish. Almost like I was drinking booze and had that little bit too much.

Very weird - feel rough

Day 3 of phase 1 here.

Felt a bit bleugh yesterday but have been very good so far. Have had cravings for chocolate but managed to resist - somehow the fact that it is 5 days "induction" rather than 2 weeks or whatever makes it a lot easier to bear.

Whenever I feel deprived I remind myself that I am supposed to be eating good natural unprocessed food and imagine that I am Ray Mears foraging for bush tucker in some remote corner of the globe, and suddenly my meal seems like a bounteous feast. I am not snacking on the whole although if I have felt dreadful I've had a glass of NLY.

I drank a glass of wine last night and really didn't enjoy it...am out tonight for adrink and am not sure what I will do....

it is amzing how asy it is to stick too...although Green and Blacks dark choc is going down a treat!

I've been finding it hard to stick to this without being able to report in every day.
I'm back to phase 1 this week. I'm really going to stick to it (and try to catch up with everyone here too)

I've stocked up on the right foods so I have no excuses

Good luck everyone for this week.

I was doing OK until tonight, I was feeling crappy all day, then felt really hungry a couple of hours after dinner and the thought of another portion of yogurt or some crudites or a cold boiled egg seemed disgusting and depressing. I ate a couple of slices of wholemeal toast and a cup of warm whole milk and felt much more human afterwards and could actually think and feel a bit cheerful for the first time in few days.

So I guess I flunked day 4. I'll do day 5 but already I can feel resistance in me. I have to watch out for that, so that I don't go pinging into "sod it" mode and have a huge binge. Also I weighed myself this morning and the scales hadn't budged so that probably demoralized me too.

I've found it hard so far, the lack of milk and bread mainly, even though I don't normally eat much bread. I am a bit of a sugar fiend but have had very minimal cravings for sugar. Still, I would say that I have certainly not been finding it a breeze and though physically have been feeling OK I have been feeling mentally flat, joyless and a bit lacking in fizz, which I find harder to take than physical symptoms such as headache, tiredness etc.

NO MORE CHOCOLATE FOR ME UNTIL I HAVE LOST 5 MORE POUNDS

Wild strawberry, I didn't lose much (maybe 1lb) on phase 1 either, don't get demoralised! I am 2 weeks in and have lost 2-3lbs, a lot of candida and my sugar cravings! I also feel more energetic and less stressed generally. You will probably find phase 2 easier.

Also, not sure if this is connected, but I have had really vivid dreams for the last few nights, unusual for me. Anyone else had this or am I just weird?

Hi All I am putting the diet off for a few days as I am not in the best place at the moment. Hope to get back on it in a few days

I started doing P1 yesterday, and so far it hasn't been too bad. I made a huge bowl of coleslaw with a NLY, mustard powder, lemon juice and olive oil dressing that I've been picking at when I'm hungry.

Yesterday I had
Breakfast - 2 boiled eggs, cucumber, tomato and some chicken
Lunch - Tuna and salad leaves with lemon juice and olive oil dressing
Dinner - Tofu stirfry with brown rice

snacks - NLY and coleslaw

Today
Breakfast - NLY
Lunch - minced roast beef, carrots, peas, stock, tomato puree, henderson's relish and parsley (I made it ages ago for cottage pie and froze the leftovers) with coleslaw.
Dinner - will be either quorn bolognaise, chicken tagine or chicken and coconut curry with rice or spaghetti squash.

I've spent the afternoon making a few different dishes for the rest of the week so I don't have to bother later. I've just got a quorn chili to make and then I'm finished - and I'll have a glass of fizzy water to celebrate.