Well, I thought I should report that I have now lost 15.7lb. It has taken me a while to work out what I can and can’t eat but I now believe that as well as giving up all forms of starch (potatoes, rice, pasta, flour) I have a slight intolerance to dairy and must cut back seriously on, in particular, cheese. I believe this because for weeks I stuck to Atkins low carb diet like glue without any weight loss. I friend suggested that I try giving up dairy and like magic the weight began to go. Thank you Melissa!
Is life worth living? You may well ask yourself. Well, as a matter of fact, life is very good and I feel excellent. After an initial period of craving for sugar, heart palpitations and energy ups and downs, I have now gained complete control of my appetite – although I have to admit that after dinner with old friends yesterday, the Thorntons chocolates gave me a bit of a hard time. I didn’t have one though because I know that it will only take one truffle to put me back where I started – addicted and binging.
In the book The Harcombe Diet Zoe states that you can eat starchy and carbohydrate fruit, vegetables and wholefoods (with no fat) for a meal – I suppose breakfast would be good, you could have brown rice cereal or oatmeal with skimmed milk and fruit. Afterwards you must only eat a meaty/fatty meal after waiting a period of time, I forget how many hours but three or four I think. This former doesn’t work for me at all. I get bloated after any starch, have terrible stomach pain and WIND! I suppose I am intolerant to something there as well, so I am a meat/fish and vegetable queen. I have salmon mousse, pate, fish in cream and mushroom sauce ( a bit of cream seems OK for me), Avocado with prawns/shrimp and Marie Rose sauce, curry ( no rice), lots of salads, mayonnaise and butter and it’s all delicious. Breakfasts consist largely of eggs, bacon, sausages and tomatoes. If I need something crunchy I have a few pecans (salted and roasted) and I also eat 2 Scandinavian Bran Crispbread per day. Instead of potatoes I have become addicted to Brussels sprout puree. Cook the sprouts until softish then whiz them with a blender until smooth. Stir in black pepper and a tablespoon of home made mayonnaise or a knob of butter.
Drinking dry wine seems fine and an occasional whisky is also acceptable. I tend to try and keep drinking to the weekend.
This will be my life from now on. Sorry friends and family I am now a pain to entertain!
5 Responses
Dear Sue, read your post of 7/9/09 with interest – I tried the other low carb forum you mentioned but couldn’t make head nor tail of it! I am now well into Phase 2 – the dreadful headaches of Phase 1 disappeared and I do actually feel good, partially psychological I suppose from the weight loss, which I can feel around my tummy. In the past I have suffered terrible bloating which I put down to wheat intolerance, and I gave up bread over 2 years ago but sometimes I would balloon up again so I wasn’t really sure what it was. Maybe as you say it is a carb/starch problem. At the moment I am eating puffed rice and an apple for breakfast, salad with fish/meat and yoghurt for lunch, and veg/meat stir fry for dinner. I am considering cutting out the puffed rice and maybe either going for two fruits (not very filling) or back to bacon (not great for me at 7.00am though – nicer at brunch!).
A few questions: you mention Marie Rose sauce – do you make your own (I think I saw a recipe in Zoe’s book) or do you use ready made and is this allowed? Also sausages – aren’t these a processed food?
I am going to try the Brussel Sprout puree, it sounds pretty good.
I am becoming a convert to the diet now, have not felt particularly hungry and my cravings for biscuits, crisps and (worst of all) cheese have all but gone. Have ordered the FOC which Zoe mentions as I would love to have porridge with some skimmed milk and something sweet in it – but maybe I should avoid this as mentioned above about bloating.
All the best anyway, well done on losing 15+ pounds. I stupidly have got a ridiculous set of scales that weigh you differently 5 seconds after you previously got on them! Until my partner brings me his set of scales my weight loss is a bit of a wild guess – but I should think 5 pounds at least. As I said, tummy is feeling less huge but I still look a few months pregnant from the side so have plenty of incentive to keep going.
Cheers
Sue
Hi Sue,
As I?m not really on the Harcombe diet I don?t have to worry too much about those rules.
You are right, sausages are probably not allowed on your diet. As for the Marie Rose sauce I make my own mayonnaise then add tomato puree and lemon juice to taste, and sometimes Tabasco sauce. I?m guessing the puree and the Tabasco may not be allowed either as they are technically processed but hey, you need some fun in life!
I questioned the H. diet when I stopped losing weight on phase 2. It strikes me as a bit of a combination diet, partly food combining, partly Atkins and partly Slimming World?s green days. I find I am better off on a low carb. diet. It?s simpler to stick to, I agree with the science and it keeps me entirely satisfied. My food cravings have all but gone ? I have to admit that my mouth still waters when confronted by certain things: baguette with butter and chocolate truffles to name a couple but in the main, if I don?t smell them I don?t think about them. What I really love is that I can drink wine and dry spirits like whisky and brandy, in moderation (mainly) and still lose weight.
I suppose, speaking for myself, I have tried so many diets before and always gained back the weight. Do you think you can stick to yours for life? I am confident that I can do this now forever. I just say to myself, I?m a carb addict, I don?t eat carbs. It?s a doddle. I love the food I eat.
I have tried the FOS powder. I ordered it at Zoe?s suggestion but I found: a. It wasn?t really sweet and b. It gave me TERRIBLE wind and bloating. I had it once ? never again. I hope you have more luck. Shame I didn?t know you wanted it I could have sent you mine. Let me know if you like it and I?ll send it anyway. I hate to waste things.
Have you tried putting your scales on a flat surface, like a large chopping board or a piece of ply wood? I found mine were a bit erratic until I did that.
Let me know when you have weighed properly, it?s good to keep up with others when you?re trying to lose weight, it gives moral support.
Hi Sue,
Just a note to let you know I have lost 30lb and kept it off for over a year (since April 2008) on a very similar diet to yours. Someone at work lost about 75lbs and told me about a doctor who runs a clinic and it is covered by OHIP(equivalent to NHS)so off I went … I have never really been able to lose weight and never really tried, but this doctor believes that most overweight people are addicted to carbs & I think it is true for me. Carbs are mostly gone from my life, but I feel great and find that after the initial couple of weeks I don’t really miss them. I indulge occasionally when out, but don’t keep them at home (one advantage of being single)
I am going back to the doctor on Friday as I want to lose another 10lbs and find the wegh ins at the clinic, plus the amazing success stories keep me motivated -my GP’s receptionts was at the clinic last time I went & I didn’t recognise her as she had lost 90lbs
Hope you are all well -Maggie
Sorry not April 2008 – September 2008 is when I hit 30lbs lost
Hi Maggie could you please tell us more about this doctors clinic.where is it and what kind of diet they give.I am based in London.