Q) Can I eat avocados?
A) In Phase 1, no, because an avocado is a fruit.
In Phase 2, in a 150g portion of avocado, there are 23g of fat and 11g of carbohydrate. Avocados are, therefore, higher in fat than carbs, but have quite high levels of both. This means you should eat them in moderation in Phase 2 and have them as part of a fat meal on the occasions when you do have them.
In Phase 3 – cheat with them as much as you can and want to.
Hello
I have stopped losing weight, I am continually i.n phase 1, however no weight loss.
Please help.
Karen.
Hi I’ve read the book & starting phase 1 today. Can you confirm regarding the yogurt. I’ve hunted for the NLY and can only find Yeo and they are all flavoured. Ie. Vanilla, lemons curd etc. Are we allowed them?
Just plain versions. Flavoured ones, that we’ve seen, all have added sugars
Hi going to start diet tomorrow and would like to know if you can eat rice cakes on p1 and do they have to be plain!
yes, and yes.
Hi would making a cheese sauce with some flour make a lot of difference ? Also would it be better to use corn flour. I lost 3st and maintained for 18 months but put too much extra on over Christmas so only looking to loose 7lbs or so .
As long as you don’t have a problem with wheat, you can use a small amount to thicken sauces. Corn flour is a good alternative.
On day five of phase 1 and seem to have mucked it up. Ate fruit and avocados on the first 3 days before realising my error. How many days should I add on to rectify this mistake and get off the “naughty step”
I’m on my 2nd day of phase 1 and wondered if I could eat a portion of brown rice with some chicken and vegetables?Thanks
That would be fine on Phase 1 as mixing is allowed. Not for Ph2, though.
Hi Zoe,
Any knowledge of ME ( myalgisk encefalomyelit) ??
I mean, what to eat or if so what not to eat……
My wife is suffering from this!
Best Regards
Roger
I would love to try this diet but I really struggle with salad vegetables, is there anything else I could do to adapt this diet to my requirements as I’m getting married in 2014 and need to lose over 2 stone, I am 28 and 5ft 5 and I weigh 14 stone 10lbs. Please help me Zoe xxx
I’m really enjoying the first few days of The Harcombe Diet! But, please can you tell us which cereals we can eat on Phase 1? I’ve studied all the boxes in my local supermarket but can’t see anything that looks suitable and I’m getting a bit bored with porridge oats. Thanks!
Thanks so much Zoe, really appreciate it!
Kim
Hi Zoe,
I have bought your books and am keen to start but have been on the Cambridge diet (and now am unwell). Just wanted to check if you think I will put weight on after not eating real foods, have been up and down and sick of daddy diets, really desperate to start your regime.
Thanks so much for your insight,
Kim
Hi Kim – let the club help you through this (http://www.theharcombedietclub.com/) It’s free to post (moderated) and from £1 a month unmoderated. We’ve had a number of people come from very low cal liquid diets and done very well. There may be some initial regain but not necessarily (one woman switched from several stone down on Lighter Life and continued to lose on The Harcombe Diet) and any rebound should be recoverable once you commit to real food as a way of eating.
Very best wishes – Zoe
Which book should I get first to start the diet?
I’d recommend The Harcombe Diet for men if you’re Alan! If you’re a female borrowing a male’s email log in – I’d recommend the Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight.
Hope this helps!
Many thanks for asking – Zoe
My husband and I have been on the diet for a few weeks.
We would now like to add a few sweets to our menu.
How would you class, the following and would they be acceptable
a) FlapJack Made with oats and honey.
b) Merague. Would you know of anthing that could be added to the eggwhite rather than sugar that would still make Merague
Hi Marlene – check out the recipe book – there are lots of safer sweet options in it, but sweet stuff is generally for Phase 3 cheats. (The honey question is in the diet book). You can try introducing 85% cocoa dark chocolate into Phase 2. If you want to carry on losing weight, you are safer to stay off sweet stuff and leave it till Phase 3. If you don’t mind slowing your weight loss or are OK maintaining, then you can follow the rules for cheating. Strawberries and cream should be as sweet as you desire or I would suspect you still have cravings going on!
Very best wishes – Zoe
hi Zoe,
I have done a lot of research into your diet, which sounds amazing. I hate meal replacement diets and don’t believe in them long term, and like healthy foods, so this sounds suited to me. I am 5ft 3in and have weighed 11st6lbs at my heaviest. I weigh between 9st and 9st 7lbs from healthy eating but want to lose half a stone more and keep it off. I seem to keep bobbing up and down half a stone, sometimes more, because every time I have anything remotely ‘naughty,’ I gain weight! Do you think the diet will help me or, because I am a normal bmi/weight etc.. will I not lose any weight? I’m generally quite a healthy eater, drink the odd glass of red wine and drink loads of water daily…..
many thanks, tally
Hi Tally – as the book says, I do believe that people have a natural weight and this is the weight that is difficult to go below and quite easy to stick to (with Phase 3 tactics). At the lower end (9 stone), you would have a BMI of 22.3 which is close to the middle of the normal range – not even at the higher end of the normal range! Most of my readers would love to have your BMI, but I do understand that each person wants to feel OK in themselves at their own weight and I don’t think your desire to go lower is unreasonable or unrealistic. When I attend obesity conferences, 21 is often quoted as the perfect BMI from a health perspective. If you were trying to go lower than this, I would say you may not have much luck (I have had people with a BMI of 19 wanting to lose weight and I try to coach them out of this desire and into loving their body!)
Try Phase 1 (only 5 days and you may well clear up bloating, headaches, blood sugar swings and any other irritations that you may have). Stick with Phase 1 if you are doing well with it and see if this helps you find your natural weight. You should be able to be below 9 stone very healthily and 8 stone 7lbs would give you that ‘perfect’ BMI. If you don’t lose any, or lose and find you gravitate easily back to 9-9.7, that’s likely your natural weight. I would be surprised if it is though and would be hopeful that 8.7 – 9 stone could be achievable.
Let me know how you get on!
Very best wishes – Zoe
Hi Keith – all parts of animals are great. Liver, kidneys, offal, tongue etc are especially nutritious foods. Liver and egg yolks are probably the best 2 sources of vitamins and minerals all round.
Enjoy!
Zoe
Not listed in the meats catagory are chicken livers, other livers. tongue. Are they allowed.
Hi Keith – I hope your wife is pleased with the weight loss – that’s brilliant!
The diet can affect blood pressure (positively) in 2 ways:
1) weight and blood pressure are very closely connected, so losing weight will invariably lower blood pressure directly.
2) Water retention affects blood pressure and this diet helps to overcome water retention quickly and effectively. This will also have naturally reduced blood pressure.
I can only help with weight loss – your wife needs to work with her doctor on blood pressure. It sounds like her need for tablets needs to be reviewed as soon as possible as she has naturally and healthily lowered her own blood pressure and may well have less need for medication going forward.
Best wishes – Zoe
Please advice. My wife has very high blood presuure 4 tablets a day to control. Now been on your diet 8 day and lost 4 kilo( awaiting delivery of book to continue 2nd phase, ) and for last 2 days felt dizzy and found that her BP has droped as at this morning reading 96/ 50 ,has the diet affected her and is this recommened to continue the diet or mybe add something to counteract the problem, Can only think the diet is affecting the BP
Thanks for your reply. Have ordered the green book.
Just bought Kallo Organic Natural Puffed Rice Cereal, when eating this do I eat it just as it comes or am I allowed milk with the cereal
Which book do I need to order to get daily menus for both Phase 1& 2
Hi Keith – the best one is the (green) Stop Counting Calories & Start Losing Weight diet book.
You can eat fruit after 5 days, provided you don’t have Candida/Hypoglycaemia problems – the book will explain everything.
P152 covers (coffee and) wine. Red wine can also be included in Phase 2 (although it is considered a ‘cheat’). You can try a glass with the occasional evening meal (not every night). I always say to people the choice is yours – you can be very strict and lose weight quicker or be a bit more flexible and maybe get away with it, or maybe lose a bit slower. The diet is yours to play with!
Very best wishes – Zoe
Can I eat fruit in any phases of the diet.
i am also fond of red wine can a drink be taken in any phase
I have an Hardcombe diet from a magazine it is for 7 days.
I would like to find out more about phase 1, 2 and 3 of this diet. Can you give me details of all 3 phases
Hi there – there are 366 pages with all the details of the other phases and the 3 conditions that cause food cravings and over 100 Q&A’s – all available in the book (paperback or ebook). The home page can take you through to the various options http://theharcombediet.com/
Best wishes – Zoe
Hi Andrea – yes – tomatoes are fine at any stage. Good luck! x
Hi, about to start phase one tomorrow. So motivated.
Can we eat tomatoes on a salad?
Thankyou
Hi Janine – try the real stuff (not low fat) but then if you don’t like it, don’t eat it! Starving the Candida of other things will have more impact than feeding the good bacteria
Hope this helps
Best wishes – Zoe
Hi i am just starting the Harcombe diet and i am really keen but i have one and only thing i don’t like and can not eat and that is Natural Live Yogurt!!!
i really want to eat it and i have tried but it really does make my stomach churn. is there any thing i can add to it or a different type of yougurt? i have also tried the greek and the same!!
i am a sufferer of candida so could do with eating it!!! i am on Phase 1 too!!!
any help much appreciated!!!