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 again didnt refresh before i posted welcome also to pookey and privet dancer

Well done monkey feet! Cant believe that much come off in 5 days!

I havent weighed yet, Ive got to get to boots to weigh, so I may wait til DP gets home so he can have DD so I can pop down. I have done my measurements this morning though. An Ive gone from 41in-32.5in-40in to 38in-30in-38in. So lost 2 inches off everything. Ive done no exercise, but am starting today with either pilates or Davina. Am very nervous of weighing I must say, petrified of making all that effort for nothing. But will be happy with 2lb. Do you have a lot of weight left to lose now moneky or is it just another stone etc?

Morning, comrades.

I have lost 7lb!
Well done monkeyfeet on your 8lb!
I can't wait to hear from mrswill.

I am celebrating with a cup of decadent milky (decaf) coffee. Last night was hellacious with dd screaming with a cold, or teeth, or something, but that has given me a real fillip. I think it may be day 1 of Operation: Find Work Clothes today. If the buses are running into town.

For phase 1 people: if it is snowy where you are and you would love to wrap your hands around a nice cup of tea or coffee while you look out of the window, lemon and ginger tea has a lovely spicy wintery flavour that is nearly as good.

Dammit, where is my recipe book?

Have a good day today, everyone.

My recipe book hasnt come either Vezzie, apparently Royal Mail reckon I wasnt here yesterday. News to me, as i was stuck in with the snow, so its coming friday.

Well done too Vezzie! Am feeling a bit of pressure now, with you two doing so well!

what are you both having for lunch today? Am thinking of a hummus and vegetable sandwich, and then leftover salmon for tea. Im really looking forward to having no eggs today .

Brilliant results!

Well I dragged me and DD out after breakfast to boots to weigh, and Ive lost 4lb! I usually have to starve for a month to get that.

Hope your DD gets better soon vezzie, the first year is a nightmare with colds, the only thing that worked for us was nose drops, and the sucker! Did you get any work clothes? I have to admit, I bought a lovely dress from topshop earlier in a size 10 . Im size 12 now, so give or take 10lb Il get into it for my friends engagement. Either that or it'll be getting swapped for a size 12.

Ive had my recipe book, which Im settling down to read with a decaff tea with soy milk. How the mighty fall!

ooh nice losses from everyone - I am inspired! well done! I'm actually going to weigh myself tomorrow morning, even though it is start of day 5 as I was already on another thread with a friday weigh-in. And I am impatient! Am usually a weigh every day gal when on a diet so it was very hard not to this morning.

Just had this soup for lunch, saw it on the old harcombe thread - omg it was lovely! It's the first soup I've ever made that isn't a bit horrible but you put up with it because it fills you up and is ww point free.

I have cheated a tiny bit and had some (skimmed) milk in my (decaf) coffee this morning. Sooo much more satisfying, but a bit cross with myself for not waiting 'til saturday. Given the amount of DD's toast I've resisted I think I've done quite well though.

Ooh I'm really jealous of all the weight loss! It's made me determined to start soon. I'm going to see my parents on Saturday and will have lunch with them (bound to involve bread) and then dinner at Pizza Express. I can't see any point starting Phase 1 before then, only to fail on the 2nd day. I think I'm going to start on Sunday, then have a full week of it. However I won't do what I normally do and use 'not being on a diet' as an excuse to stuff my face until I start - why do I do that?! I shall eat sensibly and healthly.

I like the sound of the soup, PrivetDancer, I might try it!

Keep up the good work everyone! I look forward to joining you properly on Sunday.

OMG, well done on the weight losses, I am so so impressed. That's 19lbs between you in 5 days! I can't imagine I will have lost as much as any of you 3 but here's hoping. Vezzie, how much did you lose on phase 1 first time around?

Well, end of day 4 here thank god. Another day stuck in cos of snow, but was fairly busy and a couple of friends braver than me trekked through the snow to have a cuppa with me so that was nice. I too had the butternut squash and red onion soup for lunch Privet - how funny is that? (I bet you didn't burn your red onions though!) And, yes, it was very nice - and that's coming from someone who's not a soup lover. Are you going to post your weight tomorrow Privet if you weigh? I'm going to hang on till Friday.

How are you getting on YearoftheCat? And MediumOrchid, I would do what you are planning to do, tis only sensible! Phase 2 people, what have you eaten today? Have your recipe books come today? My neighbour is still holding onto mine. I don't like to ask for it back but I'm going to have to before too long. Have again done no exercise (although did have an epic wrestling match with a butternut squash - someone remind me to buy it ready chopped next time!).

Good luck everyone and well done.

Well done mrswill!

Shandyleer - 19lb - that is 38 packets of butter. I am imagining them all lined up in a row...

Today I had: (decaf) coffee with milk, yoghurt and berries, chicken soup made with stock from the bird that stood me in good stead all through phase 1, and pasta and tomato sauce with salad with vinegar in the dressing. Yum.

I have bought some clothes, some of which I am not sure about but I can take them back - just as long as I am not going to work in my PJs. It was nice to try them on, tho I have a long way to go I enjoyed it more than I would have last week!

Tomorrow is lunch at one of my NCT mates houses, I have to stay focused and avoid the inevitable cake and chocolate.

good night all

Shandy - my recipe book came today and it looks good, what Ive read of it. Was going to take it to bed now to have a proper read now. Your neighbour may not be using your book, and doing WW

Ive had a look at the group on facebook recipes. A good one is cauliflower rice. To replace rice in meat curries, chillis, with fish, whenever you feel somethings missing. Apparently they reckon its really tasty, and you can also do a sort of fried rice thing with meat with it too. Apparently cauliflower also makes a nice creamy mash with butter, and you can add a bit of cumin, or mustard if having with sausages. Nice to know people have thought up ways around the diet! Am not sure if I would be able to have curry without rice.

So far have had today -
Porridge and banana with soya mil and decaff tea.
Pita bread filled with hummus tomato and orange pepper with salad. A Pear.
Grilled Halloumi cheese with salad. Strawberries and cream.
And just chucked some veg in the slow cooker for soup tomorrow.

Does anyone know if we're allowed balsamic vinegar in phase 2 meals?

cant wait to hear of the losses coming up!

Oo sorry Shandyleer - forgot to answer - I think I lost about 5lb the first time around, in phase 1. I was eating more then (even more!) as I was suffering badly from caffeine withdrawal and needed to snack to keep going - this time it was pretty much just 3 meals a day.

I've lost 5lb since Monday morning! very pleased.

Am now 13st 1, so a way to go yet. My ultimate goal is 10 and a half stone, but 11 and a half would see me no longer classed as 'overweight', and 12 7 is my pre-preg weight so those are intermediate goals.
Just getting under the 13 barrier by next week would be bloody nice actually.

Ooh cauliflower mash! I remember that from some previous diet I've tried - not bad really I seem to remember. will get some in! although I'm not sure you're allowed sausages.. wonder if quorn ones are ok.

Balsamic is fine I think, saw that in one of her recipes in book I thnk - as long as you're not a candida person of course.

oh and yes shandyleer - my soup was full of black flecks from burnt red onions
It was also fairly cold by the time I'd managed to find the blender.

Hi, Do you mind if I join you too. I have done Zoe before and lost 9lb in the 5 days but have def overeaten and drank too much over Xmas and the New Year. Not put it all back on but a good 5lbs has gone back.
I have started day 1 today but my biggest problem is going to be the snow and me running out of veggies. We can't get out our village without a four wheel drive. However I am in the right frame of mind and want to start now. Got a duck (cut price after xmas) in the oven and some carrots and green beans so as long as I don't have a roast potato I will be fine
I have said on the old thread that I really believe this is a great diet and I still do.

Hi there dp scuppered my plans by opening some quality street that he had refused to open last week so I was no way going to let him eat my share putting off diet until I get the recipe book double in my defence I think I may have a touch of mastitus after recently weaning dd who is 2.

I am considering drinking white tea when I properly start phase 1 as in the herbal tea rather than milky tea. I think it has a little caffine but I wont need to add milk or is this really too much of a cheat?

TYOTC be careful with oatcakes I found they became strangely addictive on phase 2! To be honest I did have porridge oats on phase 1 made with water and in the book it does say this is ok however I am not a poster girl for the diet considering I fell off the wagon!

Mrswill I have the old wii fit and ea active trainer the later is the more affective I think if you want an actual workout. wii fit is fun, possibly good for posture but not really a workout. My wii hasn't been used much since I bought some exercise dvds which are more time efficient.

Well done everyone.

Almost the end of day 5! Will weigh myself tomorrow and post (although I have had a sneaky peek already & I am very impressed ).

I have the book, but haven't read beyond phase 1! I also have the recipe book, but, along with every other book I ever buy, it is sitting beside my bed, unread .

I've been drinking green tea, which isn't as bad as I remembered it - if I didn't have some form of tea I would probably die from dehydration!

Privet dancer, your weight & goals sound very similar to mine - I am aiming for 11 stone, and I am around 13 stone now (I think - I always weigh in kilos, so I have to convert)

I'm not sure about the quorn sausages, are they not made of a type of mushroom derivative, which would feed candida?

Oh I'd love a glass of wine! Wish me luck for tomorrow.

Evening all, and hi to geneo. Privet, that is excellent news, you must be so pleased, well done, and yearofthecat, yours sounds as if it will have been worth the effort!

End of day 5 here too, hooray. I'm still waiting to be hit with this mental clarity Zoe talks about (but then again I don't remember ever having any of that so maybe I'm expecting a bit much). Also, I couldn't honestly say that I feel any more energetic (or perhaps that should be 'less lethargic') than usual.

I'm fairly sure that my main problem would have been sugar addiction (and if I told you the amounts of chocolate/sweets I can put away in one sitting you probably wouldn't believe me) yet I don't seem to have suffered any particularly nasty withdrawal symptoms (cept for being miserable all week). So, if the scales aren't kind tomorrow I might do phase 1 again.

I forgot to post yesterday that one of the friend who came round said to me as she was leaving "that's why I miss you, I miss having someone else to talk to about being fat" Pookey, as long as you think sugar isn't a big problem for you then you should be ok with white tea (cos if sugar is your problem then you should avoid caffeine).

Will post weight in the morning - looking forward to seeing yours yearofthecat!

Hi geneo
Well done privet!
TYOTC - drum roll......

I had 3 glasses of wine today and some white pasta - it was at a friend's house for lunch - I took only a little and lots of salad and avoided the cakes... still, there is no excuse for the wine.

I am going to start a Monday weigh in routine as an incentive for over the weekend.

Here is an etiquette question, or a WWYD: someone has asked me to babysit tomorrow, it is usual in our circle for the babysitter to be provided with dinner - is it ok to tell them about the diet or should I just get what I am given? I think it is totally out of order to specify what food they can get me, maybe I should tell them I will bring my own... I would just eat before but I won't have time with getting my own baby to bed first.

Morning everyone,

congratulations mrswill , privet dancer and vezzie great loses hey?

welcome geneo and goodluck for tomorrow theyearofthecat and shandyleer.

I really want to weight myself again but am going to try and hold off. Monday, weigh in sounds good vezzie.

yesterday i ate

yoghurt and berries
tomato and mozzarella salad
stuffed pepper and potato wedgies

I do miss sauces though i love mayonnaise and tried to make it the other day it was a total disaster. i need an electric blender. still waiting for my books, we get alot of undelivered packages cos noone can find our bloody house. so i have been doing some improvising so privet a couple of my veggie soups are,

north african
fry chunky chopped onions 10 mins
add garlic, pinch cinnamon, lots ground coriander, harissa paste(chili powder if no harissa) fry 5 mins
add tinned toms and chunky chopped courgette aubergine and peppers fry for 10 mins
add as much veggie stock to cover them and simmer till aubergines sink
add lots of fresh mint and lemon juice, season and eat
(usually done with chickpeas, riso pasta and quorn chunks or lamb for meateaters but i just remove all this and in phase 1 the lemon juice too)

italian
fry sliced onions 5 mins add garlic and fresh sliced toms
add stock/bouillon (how much soup you want)
add thinly sliced courgette and aubergine
simmer till aubergine sinks and season
(in phase 2 add thin slices of potato)

I have also been eating lots of tofu and eggs but i am pretty unimaginative so if anyone else has any good soup ideas i do love soup or good meals ?

I would def take my own food vezzie, just make two meals for your lunch or something reheat when you get there. my dh who has been trying has got things wrong when he cooks. god that makes me sound awful he is lovely.

sorry for typos bf baby whilst toddler snore beside me, well good luck to all we are having a big sunday style lunch with friends today i am having loads of veggies, gravy ((specially made by dh) and jacket potato cannot wait.

Monkeyfeet, those soups look great. I think I will make one today and take it with me as you suggest.

I like tofu as well but oddly, DP who doesn't eat meat doesn't...

Have a good day, everyone.

Weighed myself this morning . . .

Lost 3.2kg! (7lb)

I can hardly believe it, as I feel I have eaten loads this week.

This leaves me at 83.6kg (13st 2)(which is marginally more than I was before Christmas - so at least I've lost my Christmas weight). I want to get to around 70kg eventually.

I started to read phase 2 last night - it seems pretty good.

I'm dying to try one of your soups Monkeyfeet.

Hi all, congratulations yearofthecat, that is brilliant news. Those soups do sound lovely monkey, it sounds as if you and you're dp are good in the kitchen (at cooking that is).

Vezzie, if it were me babysitting I would either ring and explain that I was feeling a bit off colour so please don't feed me, or else take my own. Its generally been my experience if you tell people that you're on a particular diet they either scoff or try to persuade you that "just one normal" meal won't hurt you.

Ok, well according to the scales, I have lost 7lbs, and like yearofthecat, I really can't believe it. I mean I really can't believe it. I don't feel as if I have, and it has only been five days and I have been eating lots. And, also, if someone were to offer me a walnut whip right now I would bite their hand off! So not sure ábout the old cravings being conquered but very pleased nonetheless.

Hope you all enjoy the weekend - supposed to be going to the cinema with friends tonight but unless I walk there its not happening. Can't decide whether to brave it or not. Anyway, good luck all and see you Monday.

Sorry, I forgot to ask, what do you do with tofu?! I've never tried it but I may give it a go. Is it quite bland tasting? And also, totally boring, I kept meaning to say earlier in the week that I had loads of hiccoughs (days 2 and 3 I think) which I haven't had for years. Can't think why it would be related to the diet but still ...

I am going to have to wait until I can get out the village and shopping again before I start but will keep reading until then and putting my tuppence worth in now and then! My son is veggie and has tofu in curries and in stir fries. It can be marinated in oil and spices (ginger is a good one) and takes on flavours easily.
So fed up with this snow and it is snowing again.

Shandyleer and Theyearofthecat - Well done!

Pookey - what exercise DVDs are good? Is there one that combines pilates type stuff and cardio?

Shandy - I don't like telling people that I am dieting, partly because you then have to get into an argument about it for some reason, as you say (WHY?), but also because it makes people look at you and you can see them thinking about whether or not you could do with losing a bit (in my case blatantly agreeing it would not be a bad idea). But I had to - anyway she is an NCT mate, no physiological secrets between us...

But that is why I love this thread! I don't talk about this stuff anywhere else.

Tofu - is in loads of Japanese recipes. (Meat used to be banned in Japan, I just found out.) As geneo says, is good with ginger and takes on flavour - nice with soy, chilli, garlic, mushrooms, peppers - tastes of nearly nothing itself.

Right, time to feed my little girl. My plan is to get to a sensible weight now while she is too young to notice me dieting and stay there magically forever by healthy eating so she doesn't get screwed up. (not that healthy eating has ever worked for me before

Have a lovely Saturday evening, all