What happened to all the Zoe Harcombe followers?

[youpirate]

Where did they all go? I became a non-fatty , now thanks to christmas feel rubbish! So........ have started Zoe Harcombe again today. Anyone else doing it?

Hello all

Yes Mrswill I am finding it a bit hard being veggie bur then maybe would be hard anyway I have so little willpower. I am having loads of eggs, rice and salad forgot about tofu will buy some today. There was a really good fried rice on the other thread which I have been reading I am going to try. That curry looks lovely too.

My baby ds is four months, I have 3 year old dd too and put on loads of weight with both, it stayed on for 18 months with dd so I would really like to shift it a bit quicker this time, I want to be back in my old clothes again. About 2 stone to lose.

Hope you all are doing ok we have a busy day today and am taking packed lunch. Not sure what to have.

Evening all, end of day 1 phase 1 for me and I'm doing ok. Weighed in this morning at 11 stone 2 and a quarter pounds, which means that I have put back on all the weight I lost over the summer with ww, plus a bit more.

I've been drinking decaf tea and soya milk today cos didn't think I'd manage without my tea, and I didn't manage any breakfast so hope that won't muck up the metabolism too much.

Hope you're all doing well and feeling good.

Hello everyone, I hope you have all had a successful day.
Complete failure of imagination this evening - omelette for supper. This kind of lameness is the sort of thing that makes temptation hard further down the line when you feel like you have been having omelettes twice a week for ages. Hurry up, recipe book!

However: not feeling too bad, calmer, and not too hungry.

Monkeyfeet, what did you have for the packed lunch?

Shandyleer, well done on day 1 and the weighing in... that moment is gruesome.

Hambler, I saw your other thread and it struck a chord, but I didn't post on it because although I know exactly what you mean I have no answers.

How are you mrswill?

I literally cant wait to get my hands on a cup of tea on thursday. How are you feeling shandy, a bit lightheaded etc? Cant believe how much im missing tea with toast.

Finished day 3 today, and feeling more perky.

Vezzie are you weighing on thursday after the 5 days, or are you leaving it a week?

mrswill - probably on Thursday morning. what about you?

Hi guys! Can I join your thread please? I?m about to start the Harcombe diet sometime this week, hopefully tomorrow if I can get myself oragnised!

I tried it before Christmas, and I lost 5.5lb in 4 days on Phase 1, but then I went out for a meal and it was nearly Christmas, and there didn?t seem much point...etc etc? needless to say I have now put it all back on. I didn?t feel all that hungry while I was on it though.

I now weigh a few pounds short of 10 stone, and I used to be just over 8 stone. I?m quite short so I am feeling quite overweight, although I know I?m not huge (but I know if I don?t do something about it I?ll just keep getting bigger!). I really need to lose this weight and do more exercise ? it?s gone on since I left Uni, where I used to walk everywhere, and now I hardly do any exercise.

In phase 1 I?m planning on having natural yogurt for breakfast, soup for lunch and either rice and veg or meat/fish and veg for dinner. And hard boiled eggs for snacks ? I found these were good last time.

Hope this support thread helps us all to stick to the diet and lose weight!

hello everyone,

End of day 4, phase 1. Has been a nightmare day with public transport, kids and lots of rain. I almost treated myself to some mc ds chips and chocolate milkshake but I didnt and I am so pleased. How's everyone else getting on?

Hey vezzie for my packed lunch I had a rice and tofu salad and made a yoghurt garlic dip with celery and carrot.

Hello mediumorchid, that weight loss is great hope it works for me too, 10 stone would be my ideal weight but I am tallish.

Has anyone got some good phase 2 meals? just found that the thai red curry paste we have in the fridge is fine, so dh will cook me one tomorrow.

Sending you all best wishes and hoping that tomorrow I feel fantastic and crisp craving free.

Welcome mediumorchid! And good luck.

Monkeyfeet, that salad sounds nice... well done with not caving in today. It's hard when life throws logistical nightmares at you. I am not sure whether I succeeded today because I had lunch in IKEA cafe which had a suspicious sauce which may have had flour and probably mushrooms. Oh well too late now, just keep going.

I don't know about phase 2 meals, I have ordered the book for that reason... I will post when it arrives and let you know any good ideas. So far we are stuck in a bit of a rut with meals in this house because DP is pescetarian (but there is a lot of fish he doesn't like) but I am omnivorous. I would live for this 5 days on meat/fish/omelette + salad but that doesn't really work for the two of us. So I can't wait to get onto phase 2 where there are more carb meals we can have together.

Feeling quite positive today despite a terrible flake in IKEA - total sudden loss of energy. I am going back to work week after next and have NO (0!) clothes at all so the thought of trying things on in shops is acting as motivation.

ONLY 1 DAY PHASE 1 to go... hang in there monkeyfeet & mrswill!

Evening everyone and welcome MediumOrchid. Sounds as if you're all doing really well, I wish I was at the end of day 4. I am, however, at the end of day 2 and I have to say I don't feel too bad, just a bit tired and achey - but I usually feel like that anyway! I haven't really felt hungry, but I have been thinking longingly about hot chocolate and yummy cakes - bloody weather doesn't help either.

Mrs Will, I've been drinking decaff tea with soya milk which has been surprisinly ok (I normally find it too weak). You could give that a go maybe, although you're so close to the end now I'm sure you can do it!

Monkey - very impressed by the sound of your packed lunch, sounded lovely! And well done for resisting in McD's. I've just leant my recipe book to my neighbour, but as when she brings it back I'll have a look for some nice recipes.

Vezzie - hope you've recovered from your droopy spell in Ikea - have to say sometimes just the thought of Ikea can do that to me! Did you buy anything nice?

Good luck for tomorrow everyone.

Welcome Orchid, did you ever do a bit of phase 2? End of day 4 phase 1 also! 1 day left, thank god. I can feel diet working, but its doing sweet FA for my cravings, I still want a tub of ben and jerrys.

Have been thinking of phase 2 foods (obviously). On thursday am planning on having a massive tomato and mozzarella salad for dins fat meal, followed by tomato soup and crusty brown bread for tea, carb meal. Going to have a good look tomorrow at the phase two bit, so il see if i have any ideas then. Dont worry about going off a bit vezzie, I gave in and had a cup of decaff tea with skimmed milk today, if someone told me that would have tasted like heaven a week ago I would have pissed myself, but it was the nicest tea ive ever had!

Feel ok today, can feel my energy start to come back, so hope i feel back to normal soon like harcombe says. Anyone finding this diet expensive, I think ive been the shops about 3 times since starting it, and spent loads on food. I dont usually eat meat much, and cant believe how expensive it is.

Are you looking forward to going back to work vezzie?

Going to 'do something' with tofu tomorrow monkeyfeet, god knows what, but may chuck it in some rice like you, with a load of chilli powder for taste.

I may weigh tomorrow Vezzie as with all the snow down here I probably wont be able to get to boots where i weighed last week on thursday. Il shall let you all know...

Hi all,
Do you mind if I join you? I am on day 2 of phase 1.

It's a bit harder than I thought it would be - I am missing tea, feeling headachey, and yesterday was really irritable. I feel like all I have done is snack on veggies and meat.

But I'm quite looking forward to feeling better. I have 2 stone to lose (I already lost 2 stone last year, final 2 to go ).

I fall down on the same things as you MrsWill - cakes, tea, chocolates, traybakes, toast & butter . . . mmmmm.

There's a lot of reading in the book though, quite a lot to take in.

thanks Vezzie and best of luck to all x

Yes, I am finding it very expensive and have never eaten so much meat before. I roasted a chicken on Saturday and dd and I are the only ones in the house eating it (and she is only 8 months old so not much) and it will be gone today. That is gross.
Still, phase 2 will be more balanced.

I am .... not really looking forward to work but not entirely unhappy about doing something other than looking after a baby! I am not sure what it is going to be like as the whole set up has changed a lot since I was on maternity leave.

SNOW! Do all of you have snow too?

day 5 today... I think I will try to avoid the scales till tomorrow but they are sitting in the bathroom winking at me. I will be gutted if I haven't lost anything.

I am thinking of redoing the harcombe diet because exactly like others on here I gained loads of weight over christmas somewhere between 7 and 10 lbs maybe more I reckon, eek. I have read that eating foods we are intolerant to such as wheat or dairy can cause this kind of weight gain however I dont want to get into a cycle of loosing and gaining weight rapidly by excluding then reintroducing foods so possibly redoing phase 1 of this diet isnt such a good idea? Is it better to be podgy and bloated but at a consistent weight? If I do redo this am planning to try adding in a paul mckenna cd when I go onto phase 2.

Hi,

bit of a latecomer, but I started phase 1 on monday, it's nice to find some others doing it too. I had a headache monday night and was so tired i fell asleep on the train on way home (6pm!), but feeling better now.

I'm veggie too, so monkeyfeet if you have any nice recipes let me know! I cannot wait for cheese on Saturday. (not craving it though, honest!)

I've done ok on WW before but it always comes back on as soon as I stop dieting, so I'm hoping for once this will be a diet that actually works long term. When i've tried detox / south beach before they've not really worked for me, but we'll see about this one!

I've got about 3 stone to lose (2 would be a good start though).

Hi everyone, good to see some new faces too! Part way through day 3 here, so good to know some of you are the same. I don't really know how I feel today, bit miserable and slow I guess. I've been thinking a lot about sweets, chocolates, biscuits and knowing I can't have them is probably what's making me p'd off.

The children are off school because of the snow, and probably for tomorrow too, so that's good because having them around is distracting and helps me to keep busy (although as I type this I'm in the bedroom under the duvet!).

Pookey, I don't think it would harm you to do phase 1 again. Hopefully, you would get some idea of just what it is that you are intolerant to (by seeing what you are craving most) but if you're still not sure then in phase 2 Zoe suggests reintroducing each food group one at a time and keeping a diary to record the effects on you, thus finding out what to avoid. The idea is that the food you are intolerant too are the ones that cause all the nasty side effects so if you isolate them and cut them out of your diet you conquer the cravings, don't eat them any more and don't regain weight (I hope that's right, sure the others will be here soon to explain better!)

Privet, I too have always managed to lose weight with ww but always put it back on,consequently I'm the heaviest now I've ever been!

Those of you on day 3, how are you feeling, and those of you on day 5, which would you say was the worst day? Can't wait till you post your weight losses! How about exercise? Haven't really done any this week

Onwards and upwards everyone (or should that be downwards).

Shandyleer I will def have to be more cautious about reintroducing foods and, sigh, do a food diary. I have a feeling ten cups of tea with milk is something I would do well to keep away from forever but I am not sure I can because I have been drinking milky tea since toddlerdom when my mum gave it to me in bottles! I think the problem with the diet is that it is very clear what you can eat in phase 1 but from then on you need to be extremely disciplined and a bit detective like about what is affecting your body it sounds a bit like weaning babies all over again. Ok will try phase 1 tomorrow gulp!

should have said you need to be self disciplined in phase 2 because its the self bit thats difficult!

oh by the way I have a feeling butter should not be eaten in phase 1 incase of dairy intolerance may be wrong as do not have the book any more borrowed it from the library last time.

Welcome Pookey and Privet Dancer!

Darling Privet, you were the one who made me start this diet in the first place, due to a very nice link to a certain free book.....

Shandy - have also been at home today due to the snow, although it doesnt help we live up a massive hill with 40 steps up to our house, so even if theres a bit of ice its no go. DD bless her, is a lovely old thing but does tend to whinge unless she is outdoors, so I was expecting stress but shes been fab today (prob senses tolerance level decreased with chocolate level). I felt the worst on Day 3 for cravings, but feel GREAT today, really good.

Pookey - good luck for tomorrow! Am also a pig for tea. Admittedly, I have snuck in some decaff tea with skimmed milk yesterday and today. Its not like the real thing, beggars cant be choosers an all that, but after 3 days of no tea, it tasted like nectar.

Well its weigh day tomorrow, and ive done bog all exercise this week, so see what the scales come up with. Il be happy with 2lb, as I havent been hungry, and Il do my measurements too, then post it on here so you can all gawp at it . Hope I can get down to boots in the morning to weigh, failing that, it'll be tomorrow afternoon when DP comes home and can look after DD. Will post as soon as I know!

Sorry, welcome YearofTheCat! Dont worry you'll feel better soon, although the tea craving was too much for me to take

Vezzie, I was the same, was counting down th e weeks dreading work, but have been back nearly a year now, and its been great. I am only 2 days a week though, and I tend to take things a lot less personally than before which helps. Before I would get into a panic attack if I didnt do everyhting perfect, and would stay behind a lot, putting hard slong into it. Now I just waltz in, enjoy a cuppa in peace without watching Upsey daisy timmy time blah blah, do a bit of work and go home bang on time. Strangely enough 'my performance' has improved according to my bosses . Good luck for tomorrow!

Welcome to theyearofthecat, pookey and privet dancer!

Pookey - I had milky tea as a toddler too, but started drinking it black when I was about 7 and have lived off the lovely stuff ever since. Kicking tea, when I did phase 1 for the first time last year, was such a bugger.The heaaches were making me blind. BUT I did not get addicted again and this time I had no serious withdrawal symptoms - although I have had lovely real tea in the meantime.

Shandyleer, I think days 3 and 4 were the worst, but the whole thing was a million times worse the first time than the second.

Mrswill, thanks for the encouragement about work. I do think I will enjoy being an autonomous individual again, physically able to walk around freely - a strange thought!

Wish me luck everyone for my weigh in tomorrow morning, I will be on here to sob or rejoice.

Another day done! Felt fine today, although I would love some tea & oatcakes now! (Have I got this right - in phase 2, no oatcakes, crisp breads etc because they are processed? If so, oh dear)

I made a yummy brown rice tabbouleh style salad for lunch today - really good.

Has anyone else noticed a sharpened sense of smell?

MrsWill - I work 2 days a week too! It's great, really the best of both worlds.

You can have oatcakes, but on phase 2, or as a snack. But have to be careful it isnt eaten before a fat meal iykwim. Have you got the book Yearofthecat? I can send it to you by email if you want, or will try and link it so you can save it.

ever since being pregnant Ive had a better sense of smell, very weird, so havent noticed anything different. Maybe its your body, sniffing out chocolate in hope .

Yep, I do love the 2 days on 5 'off', although some weeks I do think 'I cant wait to get back to work' if DD has been particularly knackering. I now see work as MY break. I wouldnt have believed that 2 years ago!

Am going to start exercising tomorrow, as I feel more energetic now. Has anyone got the Wii fit, or personal trainer for the Wii, and have they found them any good? I also need tips on entertaining a 17 month old while I bound round the room, apparently trapping them in a highchair is supposed to be good

Hello everyone

hope you all are doing well. Welcome Yearofthecat, i felt really headachy at first too but it did get better.

I weighed myself this morning and I cannot believe it I have lost 8 pounds in 5 days. MrsWill and vezzie are you weighing yourselves today too?

I have been really good with a few suspicious sauces but amazing loss. I have been doing loads of walking though car is out of action but I am so looking forward to getting into my pre pregnancy jeans and apple and cinnamon porridge this morning seems like a real treat. Roll on phase 2.