Another Cambridge Diet Post.....

mazza33

Ok so I'm expecting a bit of backlash with this one but here goes....Im thinking of doing the Cambridge Diet for 6 weeks. What do you all think? I understand that its a quick fix and I also understand theres a good chance of putting the weight back on afterwards, and I am under no illusions whatsoever about that but :

1) I go on holiday in 6 weeks and

2) I think the fact that I have lost nothing since February (even after trying to increase exercise, change from sedentary to lightly active, up calories etc in an attempt to kick start my metabolism) is making my lose sight of what im aiming to do and I want to do something before I lose my mojo altogether.

I have only lost 13lb since August last year and I recon that I have around another stone to lose. I admit that I could do better but I feel that I have learned so much about exercise and nutrition and hopefully will continue that on particularly as I wont want to put the weight back on. I just really need to see some benefits.

ok fire away x

kyle4jem

You seem to have the right attitude and short-term VCL-diets can be useful to help you reach a specific short-term goal.

I know a few people who have used the Cambridge Diet - some more successfully than others.

If you're going on holiday and want to drop a dress size (or two) to look good on the beach (and you've no underlying medical condition that could be exacerbated by such a diet) then go for it. Remember, you are really restricted on the exercise-front when doing VCL as they don't factor in eating back exercise calories.

mazza33

Thanks for this....I know these fad diets aren't the best but I only want to do it purely to drop a dress size for my hols x

jackieatx

Uh, what's a Cambridge diet?

yarwell

Uh, what's a Cambridge diet?

http://www.cambridgeweightplan.com/

mazza33

ive heard so much about this diet lately and also my husband works offshore and loads of guys there use it and it seems to do the job. I know its a fad diet but I hope it will be ok just for a few weeks.

jackieatx

Oh. Just do a juice fast, its better for you and you'll lose weight quickly.

LabRat529

You know its a bad idea. You're posting to justify going through with the bad idea.

Medically, will it be okay for a few weeks? Probably. Your body can handle a heck of a lot of abuse. But in my opinion, it IS abuse and it can suck you into a mental trap, creating an even more unhealthy relationship with food and exercise than you might already have.

You would be better off physically and psychologically if you can get past the idea that you have to be a certain size to be sexy. You should lose weight for better health, not for vanity.

I know these words seem harsh, but I mean them kindly. I really think fad diets are a bad idea, not because they are always dangerous (some are), but because they enforce unhealthy relationships with weight and food.

mazza33

Point taken Labrat....Its not so much that I think its a bad idea - I think if I wanted to change to a diet like this for the long term then yes, but its purely a quick fix for hols and thats as much as I expect from it.

My problem is I have never been on any form of faddy diet so dont know what to expect at all.

Thanks for all your input x

now_or_never12

If it's very restrictive it will be hard to stick to even for a short period of time. Also, usually with these diets any weight you lose you will quickly put back on once you go back to normal.

I haven't fully read about the specific diet you asked about so I'm not totally informed but personally I'm not one for crash diets, fad diets etc. They tend to not stick and can make a person feel worse (both with the foods and the cuts while doing the diet and the probably rebound of weight gain once the person is done with the diet and goes back to normal).

Personally I would just keep doing what you're doing and just enjoy your vacation no matter what the weight is. You'd be much healthier in the long run.

mazza33

Sound advice - thanks

mazza33

p.s. did I mention that im going to Florida?? not just any old holiday so dont want Mickey to see me with flabby bits ha ha xxx

mazza33

Anyone else been on this that could offer advice?? x

4rgl

First of all I have to say I haven't done this diet, had never heard of it before..

I did a quick search and found out it's a very low calorie diet "ranging from 440 -1500 cals a day" and that includes "vitamins and minerals to ensure the body is getting adequate nutrition".

I'm not gonna tell you it's a fad diet and you might end up slowing your metabolism, putting weight back on etc... You already know that.

From what I understand you have to pay for this diet plan and the pre-packaged meals and supplements etc..

My question is, if you are going to go this route (and by this route, I mean a very low calorie diet), why don't you just cut your calories down to this level on your own? I mean, you could eat super healthy, take vitamins and supplements and stay within a very low calorie range, say 500-750? Isn't this pretty much the same as the Cambridge? I believe going really low calorie for a short term won't kill you but isn't healthy either. But if you're going to do it anyway, I'm sure eating a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein cooked at home would be healthier than pre-packaged and most likely processed foods.

Edited to add: Just one other thing you might want to consider.. You mentioned you know you could have done better on your weight loss journey so far. Have you thought how much weight you could lose in 6 weeks if you focused on doing better for 6 weeks and without having to restrict yourself so much?
If you ate 500 calories less everyday and burned another 250-500 calories through exercise for 6 weeks, you would easily lose 8-12lbs in 6 weeks, and it would be (in my opinion) easier than following such a restrictive diet.
Just something to consider

luzmidd

Have you though of the Dukan Diet?

I'm on it and it is not easy, but I feel good.

You can eat as much as you want, and it is a program that basically re-introduces your eating habbits from the basics of only protein, then adding vegetables, then after a couple of weeks (depending on how much you've lost) you start introducing carbs twice a week with celebration meals.

It works fast if you stick to it...

I know a lot of people have published a lot of hate for the Dukan, but I like it and I see results.

cally69

Hello
I read your post and how you wanted to hear from someone who had done the Cambridge diet. Well, back in the early 90's I attempted to do this. I lasted 3 weeks. Yes I lost 21lbs but can I tell you I felt AWFUL, my breath stank and my skin was pale and grey. All my friends commented on how ill I looked.
I ended up hallucinating about food, every magazine/tv prog had me drooling over any sight of food. Looking back it was a crazy thing to have done to my body. Plus, the moment I stopped the diet I ate everything in sight and quickly put it all back on and then some.
You may start your holiday much lighter, but by the end of it you'll be back where you were before it!!!
Please reconsider, be kind to your body and go enjoy your holiday.
Best wishes
X

Umeboshi

Looks like a glorified eating disorder to me.

sarahliftsUP

I've never heard of the Cambridge Diet Post so I can't give you any thoughts on that.. I have heard of the 17 Day Diet though which might be more beneficial to you. It's basically low carb, clean eating. You could just use to get some ideas for meals or follow it exactly. My friend used this diet and said she never felt so good. She said by day 4 she felt best as this is when her cravings stopped. She did this last summer and never put back the weight since she was eating regularly, just changing her eating habits.

17 Day diet is a book. If I were you, I'd tend to lean towards the 17 Day Diet. I think it would be cheaper, and you'd be eating real food. I understand that you want quick results for your vacation, but I think you'd be happy mentally and physically by going with an alternative. And by going away on vacation, you may risk of getting sick since your body might not be getting enough nutrients on the Cambridge Diet.. just some things to consider.

I wish you all the best of luck!

yarwell

since your body might not be getting enough nutrients on the Cambridge Diet

the whole point of it is that it is nutritionally adequate.

blackrose26

Earlier this year I did a VLCD/TFR. Not Cambridge but Slim & Save as it was a lot cheaper because you don't go to meetings or anything, just buy online and wait for delivery. It varied from 450-650cls per day depending which packs you chose.

I did it for just short of 4 weeks. I'll be brutally honest. To start with I felt great, plenty of energy, was sleeping so much better than I ever had before and 16lbs just melted off. Halfway through the third week I started getting really lightheaded and I nearly blacked out at the top of the stairs. Thankfully I fell up into the bathroom rather than down the stairs.

If you've got even slight issues with low blood pressure, low blood sugar or anything wrong with your heart at all I wouldn't recommend it. My blood pressure dropped to crazy levels which is what caused it.

I did the diet in March, stopped at the start of April and I regained 1.5lbs which I've shifted again now. Not everyone puts the whole lot back on.

Best of luck to you whichever way you decide to go.

yarwell

Halfway through the third week I started getting really lightheaded and I nearly blacked out at the top of the stairs.

That's fairly common in low carb diets too - solved by increasing sodium (salt) intake to offset the increased loss to urine.

mazza33

I really appreciate everyones contribution to this

I have considered going really low fat on my own but I think the temptation is always there to eat crap again. At least when im paying for a particulr diet I hope that it will motivate me not to cheat....do you get me?? Shallow I know lol x

FlaxMilk

Have you considered a calorie cycling plan? I really do understand wanting to lose as much as you can for a special event, but my guess is that if you are worrying about will power, you will end up eating anyway and wasting your money because the body is designed to make you seek food if it thinks it needs it--emotionally or physically.

There are calorie cycling plans with very dramatic calorie differences or more mild.

kyle4jem

For all the nay-sayers. the Cambridge Diet is a scientifically balanced meal-replacement VLC plan that is monitored by a sponsor and is preceded and followed up with a medical check.

Unlike Atkins, Dukan and other such diets, it is not intended as a long-term plan, but rather as a kick-start for those who have a lot of weight to lose and have failed or yo-yo'd on previous occasions. Once the desired weight-loss is achieved, a maintenance plan is then put in place to educate participants how to eat well and within their limits. It's here that sometime people struggle especially if they have issues with food that were not adequately addressed beforehand, but for others they find that maintenance can be achieved with a health balanced food and nutrition plan.

Although I have not personally followed the diet - personally I'm not fond of meal-replacements - I have a good friend who has and for whom it was very successful and she has maintained normal eating for 2-3 years now.

cally69

When I did the Cambridge diet there were no medical checks done either before or after. There was a weigh in each week and I handed money over for the following weeks supply. Admittedly, this was some time ago. I would like to think it was more responsibly done these days but remember it's just part of the commercial diet industry.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do
X

mazza33

For all the nay-sayers. the Cambridge Diet is a scientifically balanced meal-replacement VLC plan that is monitored by a sponsor and is preceded and followed up with a medical check.

Unlike Atkins, Dukan and other such diets, it is not intended as a long-term plan, but rather as a kick-start for those who have a lot of weight to lose and have failed or yo-yo'd on previous occasions. Once the desired weight-loss is achieved, a maintenance plan is then put in place to educate participants how to eat well and within their limits. It's here that sometime people struggle especially if they have issues with food that were not adequately addressed beforehand, but for others they find that maintenance can be achieved with a health balanced food and nutrition plan.

Although I have not personally followed the diet - personally I'm not fond of meal-replacements - I have a good friend who has and for whom it was very successful and she has maintained normal eating for 2-3 years now.

Thank you

mazza33

First of all I have to say I haven't done this diet, had never heard of it before..

I did a quick search and found out it's a very low calorie diet "ranging from 440 -1500 cals a day" and that includes "vitamins and minerals to ensure the body is getting adequate nutrition".

I'm not gonna tell you it's a fad diet and you might end up slowing your metabolism, putting weight back on etc... You already know that.

From what I understand you have to pay for this diet plan and the pre-packaged meals and supplements etc..

My question is, if you are going to go this route (and by this route, I mean a very low calorie diet), why don't you just cut your calories down to this level on your own? I mean, you could eat super healthy, take vitamins and supplements and stay within a very low calorie range, say 500-750? Isn't this pretty much the same as the Cambridge? I believe going really low calorie for a short term won't kill you but isn't healthy either. But if you're going to do it anyway, I'm sure eating a diet full of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein cooked at home would be healthier than pre-packaged and most likely processed foods.

Edited to add: Just one other thing you might want to consider.. You mentioned you know you could have done better on your weight loss journey so far. Have you thought how much weight you could lose in 6 weeks if you focused on doing better for 6 weeks and without having to restrict yourself so much?
If you ate 500 calories less everyday and burned another 250-500 calories through exercise for 6 weeks, you would easily lose 8-12lbs in 6 weeks, and it would be (in my opinion) easier than following such a restrictive diet.
Just something to consider

This is totally sound advice and I thank you for taking the time to reply. I think maybe when I return from holiday I might do this to lose my expected (little) weight gain. I then hope to go back to MFP logging as usual x

mazza33

since your body might not be getting enough nutrients on the Cambridge Diet

the whole point of it is that it is nutritionally adequate.

Lets hope so

mazza33

Hello
I read your post and how you wanted to hear from someone who had done the Cambridge diet. Well, back in the early 90's I attempted to do this. I lasted 3 weeks. Yes I lost 21lbs but can I tell you I felt AWFUL, my breath stank and my skin was pale and grey. All my friends commented on how ill I looked.
I ended up hallucinating about food, every magazine/tv prog had me drooling over any sight of food. Looking back it was a crazy thing to have done to my body. Plus, the moment I stopped the diet I ate everything in sight and quickly put it all back on and then some.
You may start your holiday much lighter, but by the end of it you'll be back where you were before it!!!
Please reconsider, be kind to your body and go enjoy your holiday.
Best wishes
X

Thank you for responding...sorry you didnt have a good time on the diet. I can only hope that these days the nutrition is more balanced and carefully planned??

I have decided to give it a go anyway and start tomorrow.

Thanks for responding

mazza33

Today is D-Day!

blackrose26

Good luck! Hope it goes well for you and get you get what you want out of it.

Just remember to listen to your body and if something doesn't feel right get straight to the doc for a checkup.
/end mum mode.