I have been on your diet for a week and lost nothing I must be doing something wrong. I seem to have stopped going the the loo I am drinking water and eating my protein with veg and carbs with veg for my main meal what Iam I doing wrong please help. Will not give up yet!

Hi Techi60 - thanks so much for sharing this! Keep up the great work
Very best wishes - Zoe

thanx a heap =]

Hi Zoe,
Bought the book, it's a super read, I have lost 2stone 2lbs in 5 weeks so Many Thanks.

p.s. ChunderChunk - sorry I forgot the cordial bit - ditch the sweeteners! Check out p249 of stop counting calories & start losing weight. Or, it is the top FAQ on theharcombediet.com FAQ page!

Hi ChunderChunk!
It's actually best not to drink anything WITH meals - to have all your liquid intake between meals. Drinking flushes the natural digestive juices and it impairs digestion.
Well done on the weight loss. I do get feedback on weight loss through facebook, blogs, youtube and emails, but it is so individual. The record for Phase 1 (5 days) is now 17lbs! (It was 14.5 for ages). Some then lose a steady 10-15lbs a month. Some plateau and I recommend a return to Phase 1 to kick start again. Men tend to lose more, quicker. If you've had any or all of the 3 conditions, you can expect weight loss to be good, as you continue to avoid the foods feeding the conditions. It is so difficult to say. The good news is that people report it is easier to keep off any weight lost on this diet. You don't slow your metabolism or send your body into starvation mode, so it works really well with you.
Hope this helps - keep up the great work! Best wishes - Zoe

Hi Zoe

Just a quick couple of questions. What can I drink with my meals? I can drink 1.5 litres of water a day but can't stand drinking water with my meals, is sugar free high juice cordial ok? I have been to the pub twice since starting this diet and managed to stick to diet coke but think I drank a bit too much of it, is there any other pub drinks you can recommend?

Also, how much weight do people report losing on your diet per week? I have lost 12 pounds after doing phase 1 and one week of phase 2. I'm about 6 stone over weight and would like it go quickly, or am I just rushing things? Thanks.

Hi Memoriess14 again! I can't see your latest message on this board, but it appeared in an email.
Of course you can exercise - it's a great thing to do for general health and well being - it just won't do much for a weight problem relative to what you eat (note - what you eat, not how much).
My advice would be DON'T go back to low fat after doing Phase 1. Low fat is by definition high carb and carbs and insulin are behind the obesity epidemic - not fats - the things we have been eating for hundreds of thousands of years! If you want to eat low fat/low cal and be hungry for the rest of your life, don't even try this diet - it is totally different. As for who it works for - I haven't found anyone yet who has failed to lose weight in Phase 1. The record has been broken and now stands at 17lbs in 5 days! If this weren't written by a complete stranger on a blog of mine, I'm not sure I would believe it!
Bye - Zoe x

Hi Memoriess14 - you don't have to exercise to lose weight, so - no - you don't have to exercise with this diet. (See Time Magazine Aug 17 2009 edition - I've been saying this for years - and attacked for it!) If you go back to eating processed food after Phase 1 I would expect you to put the weight back on. You can eat a lot of real food and lose weight and feel great. You can't eat junk if you want to lose weight! Sorry! x

Hey Zoe Harcombe, I was wondering is there any excersize invovled in this diet? or after phase 1 is done, can you eat the way you did before? or will you gain wait fast?