The Harcombe Diet

Bearface115

Im thinking of doing this diet! Anyone doing it with success?

MamaKatel

I briefly researched it. What is phase one about? What are the rules and what foods can you eat? It seems like a very good diet in my opinion.

Bearface115

It gives you what kinda stuff to eat to help fight the 3 main conditions that may cause weight gain. Candida, Food Intolerance, and Hypoglycima; which i have all three and never realied it!

MamaKatel

sounds interesting, I might have to buy the book. Seems a lot healthier too. Even low cal diet can be unhealthy, a lot of the sugar free/low fat stuff has a lot of chemicals in it.

Bearface115

Yeah!, like i was seriously like where is the catch and not alot of ppl know about it, but the people have only written good things about it, so im going to try it!

BenKnowsFitness

I can't believe that MFP folks did not post more responses to your question. A balanced diet with the appropriate number of calories each day is the way to go. I lost a pound every 2 days for over 100 days using just that method.

I bet the Harcombe diet at its core is just a way to take in fewer calories.

Bearface115

I can't believe that MFP folks did not post more responses to your question. A balanced diet with the appropriate number of calories each day is the way to go. I lost a pound every 2 days for over 100 days using just that method.

I bet the Harcombe diet at its core is just a way to take in fewer calories.

I bet if you did some research you'd know that it is not. Its a detox diet that with people like me who have been a slave to calorie counting and have only seen weight gain. Not to be mean, but do your research before you bash on this, ok?

sftblmama

I can't believe that MFP folks did not post more responses to your question. A balanced diet with the appropriate number of calories each day is the way to go. I lost a pound every 2 days for over 100 days using just that method.

I bet the Harcombe diet at its core is just a way to take in fewer calories.

I am definately going to research this diet. Although it would be awesome to lose a pound every 2 days, it is just not the reality for some people, like me. I actually Gained weight with cutting calories after aninitial 10 pound loss. And, I have over 100 pounds to lose, so yeah it was Very discouraging. I think it would be interesting to look into.

MamaKatel

I can't believe that MFP folks did not post more responses to your question. A balanced diet with the appropriate number of calories each day is the way to go. I lost a pound every 2 days for over 100 days using just that method.

I bet the Harcombe diet at its core is just a way to take in fewer calories.

I bet if you did some research you'd know that it is not. Its a detox diet that with people like me who have been a slave to calorie counting and have only seen weight gain. Not to be mean, but do your research before you bash on this, ok?

I was thinking the same thing! He prob. didn't reserach it before commenting. I'm starting day 1 today. I have been hypoglycemic my whole life (my mom said, even when I was a baby!), so i'm really hoping this will help ease up my symptoms.

Bearface115

I can't believe that MFP folks did not post more responses to your question. A balanced diet with the appropriate number of calories each day is the way to go. I lost a pound every 2 days for over 100 days using just that method.

I bet the Harcombe diet at its core is just a way to take in fewer calories.

I bet if you did some research you'd know that it is not. Its a detox diet that with people like me who have been a slave to calorie counting and have only seen weight gain. Not to be mean, but do your research before you bash on this, ok?

I was thinking the same thing! He prob. didn't reserach it before commenting. I'm starting day 1 today. I have been hypoglycemic my whole life (my mom said, even when I was a baby!), so i'm really hoping this will help ease up my symptoms.

Me too i have candida and forever have had hypoglycema! So far this is working fo me!

vaston

So I went to the website and read everything she has there. I have a few degrees in science which taught me to approach things like this with a questioning mind. As I read I found a quote that I kept going back to. After I finished I read it again. Here is the quote, directly from her site:

This diet "fundamentally rejects the calorie theory, upon which 99% of diets are based.
The other 1% of diets are Atkins and Co. These will work, if you can stick to them (I’m quite a fan of these diets – provided that you stay away from the processed carb bars and meal replacements). However, I don’t think that many people need to start off quite so low carb – try The Harcombe Diet first and see how you get on.
The 99% will not work, and we have a century’s worth of obesity journals to prove this. (You would also not be reading this page if calorie counting did work). One definition of madness is to do the same thing again and again and to expect a different result. To go on a calorie restricted diet, is therefore, mad."

As far as I'm concerned, she just buried herself with that second paragraph. To state that the calorie theory doesn't work at all? I quote "the 99% WILL NOT WORK" the other 1% of course being the Atkins diet. We have an entire website here at myfitnesspal.com FULL of stories proving she is wrong. It DOES work. It doesn't work the same for everyone, but it DOES work.
In addition to that, she give absolutely zero references to the supposed "century's worth of obesity journals". If a person makes a claim like hers, she needs to back it up with direct references. That's how science works.

You mentioned making sure you do research. You need to understand more about Candida and how it works. I encourage you to read these 2 articles:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/candida-cleanse/AN01679
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candida.html

On her website she claims a condition called food intolerance actually makes you crave those foods: "The real irony is that Food Intolerance causes people to crave the foods to which they are intolerant. You are most likely to be intolerant to anything you have daily and feel you couldn’t live without."
That is absolutely not true-
2 articles regarding Food Intolerance:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-allergy/AN01109
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_intolerance

As far as I can tell the only possibly legit claim she makes is hypoglycemia and weight gain. I will let you read all about that on your own time.

It would seem like this lady is simply trying to make money. Her claims go against the science that I have provided in my references. Be wary of anyone that tells you they have found the secret to something, particularly when they tell you that decades of scientific research is wrong. This site is full of people that have found success.

Bearface115

So I went to the website and read everything she has there. I have a few degrees in science which taught me to approach things like this with a questioning mind. As I read I found a quote that I kept going back to. After I finished I read it again. Here is the quote, directly from her site:

This diet "fundamentally rejects the calorie theory, upon which 99% of diets are based.
The other 1% of diets are Atkins and Co. These will work, if you can stick to them (I’m quite a fan of these diets – provided that you stay away from the processed carb bars and meal replacements). However, I don’t think that many people need to start off quite so low carb – try The Harcombe Diet first and see how you get on.
The 99% will not work, and we have a century’s worth of obesity journals to prove this. (You would also not be reading this page if calorie counting did work). One definition of madness is to do the same thing again and again and to expect a different result. To go on a calorie restricted diet, is therefore, mad."

As far as I'm concerned, she just buried herself with that second paragraph. To state that the calorie theory doesn't work at all? I quote "the 99% WILL NOT WORK" the other 1% of course being the Atkins diet. We have an entire website here at myfitnesspal.com FULL of stories proving she is wrong. It DOES work. It doesn't work the same for everyone, but it DOES work.
In addition to that, she give absolutely zero references to the supposed "century's worth of obesity journals". If a person makes a claim like hers, she needs to back it up with direct references. That's how science works.

You mentioned making sure you do research. You need to understand more about Candida and how it works. I encourage you to read these 2 articles:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/candida-cleanse/AN01679
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/candida.html

On her website she claims a condition called food intolerance actually makes you crave those foods: "The real irony is that Food Intolerance causes people to crave the foods to which they are intolerant. You are most likely to be intolerant to anything you have daily and feel you couldn’t live without."
That is absolutely not true-
2 articles regarding Food Intolerance:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-allergy/AN01109
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_intolerance

As far as I can tell the only possibly legit claim she makes is hypoglycemia and weight gain. I will let you read all about that on your own time.

It would seem like this lady is simply trying to make money. Her claims go against the science that I have provided in my references. Be wary of anyone that tells you they have found the secret to something, particularly when they tell you that decades of scientific research is wrong. This site is full of people that have found success.

Thanks for your long posting in letting us know the bad, but as when i do research i find out all those things and i talk to people that have been on this program before. im not doing anything to keep my body in starvation mode, im not even particularlly thinking this program is "quack" related. This program teaches someone that has done Calorie counting and the results are a failure and one gains weight. I have Candida and Hypoglycemia and the truth is is that these REAL FOODS will help cure that problem. So i appreciate the concern, but i dont need to be letured on something i alread spend a week researching. i bought the book so im not reading lies off the internet anymore. AND no one told me this was a "secret" it was my doing. so thanks!

logitech

I think you have been unnecessarily harsh to those who have responded to your post. These people where only trying to help with their specific opinions/facts to your question. The great thing about this site is the ability to have access to all these people and their experience and/or knowledge, but if you are curt with them don’t expect future responses. Because they don’t agree with you doesn’t mean they’re wrong. MFP is a huge support group, keep the negativity out!

Bearface115

Honestly i wasnt trying to be mean:embarassed: , im the most supportive person i can be on here! Im truly appologize if this was being read as harsh. Forgive my Wrath! all i wanted to know was if anyone else tried it, that's all. So to all that have felt attacked.... Im am SOO sorry! :flowerforyou:

auryn2278

i have been doing Phase 1 now for 3 days and it is a bit harder than i thought.... but that being said, I gave it a go a few weeks ago and lost 5.6 lbs in that 5 days, and felt a lot better too! I gave into my food addictions over the holidays and gained it all but 1 lb back So here I go again!! But I think she makes valid points in her book, and I agree with the theory that it isnt so much about how many claories you eat as it is about WHAT you eat! I know I am insulin resistant and I DO NOT want to cross the threshold into Diabetes. Zoe ( and many other sources) have great insights on carbs and the insulin response being what makes us fat.

Good luck to you, let me know how you did!

Jill

ninerbuff

From my experience, unless it's a lifestyle that you plan to do the rest of your life, and you're just using this to lose weight, it's just another "fad" diet. ANYONE can lose weight on a diet that they specifically pick for themselves, it's the maintenance of that diet that is the real challenge.
This is why in all my years of working with clients, that I don't encourage dieting but calorie control. Science shows that that is what weight control basically boils down to.

A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

Stasia_Niuka

Harcombe really works! I am now down 100 lbs! I am going to do phase 3 for a while and maintain. Then I'll decide if I want to switch back to phase two again and lose a little more.

I ate a LOT of food on phase 2 and was never hungry. I set MFP to "maintain" and used it as a tracker for my food and exercise, and most days I ate all my "needed calories" or more. So my results seem to have proved that counting your calories does not matter, and that a different approach like Harcombe is a better way to lose weight.

Please let me know if you try it and if you have the same great results that I did.

Warm regards,

Emma

becoming_a_new_me

I've never done this diet, but I (used to) suffer from chronic candida infections and I am hypoglecimic. I just eat low-cal and take a cranmax supplement and a chromium supplement, and that works great for me. Haven't had an infection in months (started this supplement in Sept, and I used to get UTI, kidney, or yeast infections monthly), and the chromium has balanced my blood sugar as well as curbed my appetite.

bobthesmogs

Emma, I just downloaded her book and have read it quickly, will read more tomorrow! I WANT to try it! Cravings and hunger are what destroy me. Will you add me as a friend?

Charval

I have started this diet and am on DAY 4. So far good... I am down some-weight and defiantly think I have all 3 conditions so will keep on phase 1 for at least 2 weeks maybe longer.

Ed_81

Good luck with it, I hope that this is 'the diet' that works for you. I've tried to lose weight for years (all be it in a half assed way lol)
and looked in wonder at all of the new types of diets that have gained popularity over the years.
In the end what worked for me was the calorie counting and increased exercise. It took a few weeks before it started working, but after a certain point the weight just started dropping off.
I always blamed my inability to lose weight on having a slow metabolism, I think I finally managed to speed it up and all I did was make sure I have a healthy breakfast as soon as I wake up, and put in at least 20 minutes exercise a day.
The good thing is that I haven't had to declare any foods completely off bounds, so long as I'm within my allowance.

You'll all have to post any success stories that you have with this diet, both short term and long term.

Good luck guys

That_Girl

I like the detox part of it. Sounds good.

I'm already gluten-free and don't eat many processed things...so it's not a far stretch.

I like the 5 day diet menu. Looks good.

shaunniegroom91

If you read on from the 99% quote she actually goes on to say calorie counting doesn't work LONG TERM. .. which I think we can all agree has some merit as people are getting fatter and fatter and the diet industry gets richer and richer. How many people have lost weight and kept it off here?