Cambridge Diet????????

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  • 1ZenGirl
    1ZenGirl Posts: 432 Member
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    There is lots of good information here to help you get started:
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1080242-a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    Yes this is good. And good for you for not being so stubborn and actually listening to the experience and advice of the posters on your thread.
  • RyanDryFly
    RyanDryFly Posts: 92 Member
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    If you need a little inspiration check out this link:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/1174189-me-lose-100-pounds-impossible-but-i-did-it

    Sue was confined to a wheelchair and had to lose at least 70 lbs before her doctor would perform double knee surgery so she could walk. She’s lost 100 lbs while maintaining a positive can do attitude. I read her story every time I start to think I can’t.
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    I know some people are against this but what do I have to lose ??lbs and alot of them lol.

    Muscle, Hair, BMR calories, proper hormonal function......

    ...things that are difficult to replace.

    I swapped these for scars all over my body and an eating disorder.
  • akoorn1982
    akoorn1982 Posts: 152 Member
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    Followed it 6 years ago...lost 25kg but my body was out of proportion (tiny waist but kept bulky legs). I quit because I grew tured of shakes and couldn't afford it since I broke up with my bf. The lady selling me the shakes was very quick to get rid of me.... and 6yrs later I gained the 25kg back...plus 25 more!
  • LipstickQueen79
    LipstickQueen79 Posts: 1
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    Here's a success story for you: I've been obese all me life and have tried and failed on every diet you can think of. Except this one. The quick weight loss I've had on this vlcd has kept me motivated to keep at it. So far I've lost 6 stone. This is the smallest I've been since childhood! There are steps you take for reintroducing food back into your diet, and as long as you follow the steps, stick to the plan you won't put the weight back on.
  • lolitahill
    lolitahill Posts: 2
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    I ve done the Cambride diet once with which i lost a stone and a half in 5 weeks, great you would say but two years down the line i have put the weight back on and i am still trying to get my metabolism back into its top state.
    I ve alternatively crashed diet then binge for over a year and i am now trying to rebuild my metabolism by eating healthy, super clean around 1300 cal per day and exercise but i am still putting on weight every week ( it has been 1 month only)
    I am sure that the cambridge diet has slow up my metabolism so much that it got stuck somewhere, and i am now well unhappy....
    I would think twice before wanting a quick fix.
    On top of that having a liquid diet only, psychologically makes you crave food even more.... my advice is be careful with it!
  • nikkihk
    nikkihk Posts: 487 Member
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    So glad you've chosen to listen to people on here.. No need for excessive exercise.. just figure out how many calories you need to function and then eat less then that (no more then 500 cals) and you should lose the weight no problem... about 1-2 pounds s week.
  • missie_515513
    missie_515513 Posts: 20 Member
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    My friend at work did this - she lost a few stone but then started to lose hair. She started eating then went on a massive binge and gain more than what she lost.

    I have done Slimming World and Weight Watchers - in the last few years but I have not stuck with it! Since 1 November 2013 I have lost 14lbs and feel so much better for it! I am eating what I want but in moderation!!!

    Good Luck!!
  • valmegb
    valmegb Posts: 38 Member
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    Firstly it's your choice how you choose to lose weight.

    I did the Cambridge diet in 2012. I lost 30lbs and have mostly maintained with the exception of holiday gains! There are 5 different levels ranging from under 500 calories to 1800 kcals. Depending on how much you want to lose and how quickly it depends on what level you start at.

    I'm not gonna lie, it was very hard to start with but you soon adapt. If you intend on exercising you will not be able to do the 500 kcal plan as you won't have enough energy.

    I turned my diet into six meals by dividing each meal into two so my body thought it was eating more and don't forget to drink lots of water as it will keep you fuller.

    Friend me if you want a buddy who will support you as I know what you'll be going through!

    Good luck x
  • Bulletproof_Helen
    Bulletproof_Helen Posts: 209 Member
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    lots of negative comments! those who go bingeing after this plan are silly, you need to make the lifestyle choice not to get back into the bad habits :grumble:
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    lots of negative comments! those who go bingeing after this plan are silly, you need to make the lifestyle choice not to get back into the bad habits :grumble:

    Good luck with your shakes and hypnotherapy lifestyle.
  • Bulletproof_Helen
    Bulletproof_Helen Posts: 209 Member
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    lots of negative comments! those who go bingeing after this plan are silly, you need to make the lifestyle choice not to get back into the bad habits :grumble:

    Good luck with your shakes and hypnotherapy lifestyle.


    ooh get back in the knife drawer mr sharp! I gave up on the shakes and the hypnotherapy, I do like to try everything before quitting completely, I now do Slimming World and exercise and have more success! How about a nice snide remark now!
  • Therealobi1
    Therealobi1 Posts: 3,262 Member
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    Firstly it's your choice how you choose to lose weight.

    I did the Cambridge diet in 2012. I lost 30lbs and have mostly maintained with the exception of holiday gains! There are 5 different levels ranging from under 500 calories to 1800 kcals. Depending on how much you want to lose and how quickly it depends on what level you start at.

    I'm not gonna lie, it was very hard to start with but you soon adapt. If you intend on exercising you will not be able to do the 500 kcal plan as you won't have enough energy.

    I turned my diet into six meals by dividing each meal into two so my body thought it was eating more and don't forget to drink lots of water as it will keep you fuller.

    Friend me if you want a buddy who will support you as I know what you'll be going through!

    Good luck x

    Its most definitely ops choice but why would you do something that actually sounds like torture and has negative impacts on the body as the others have stated. Are you still doing this type of diet now?

    Op pls dont do it. So many people have been successful by just slightly reducing what they normally eat
  • IronSmasher
    IronSmasher Posts: 3,908 Member
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    lots of negative comments! those who go bingeing after this plan are silly, you need to make the lifestyle choice not to get back into the bad habits :grumble:

    Good luck with your shakes and hypnotherapy lifestyle.


    ooh get back in the knife drawer mr sharp! I gave up on the shakes and the hypnotherapy, I do like to try everything before quitting completely, I now do Slimming World and exercise and have more success! How about a nice snide remark now!

    Well done for coming to your senses and thank you for being brave enough to come back to the forum to let everyone know what does and doesn''t work.
  • Strokingdiction
    Strokingdiction Posts: 1,164 Member
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    What do you have to lose?

    Your health.

    I'd say that's not something you should gamble with just to lose a few quick pound that will just come right back.
  • Transformer711
    Transformer711 Posts: 55
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    It seems like a lot of the Cambridge detractors don't have a clue what the diet is about. Yes, it's low calorie but you don't have to start on the 400 calorie a day option. It goes all the way up to 1500+ calories a day for those who don't wanted to be as restricted.

    And, it's not 'bad for the body'. By taking those three shakes you'll have 100% of your vitamins, minerals and protein in a day. Just punch them into MyFitnessPal if you don't believe me.

    'Cambridge is a fad' is another popular one. The definition of a 'fad' is when one loses weight without having learnt anything. It's not just diets like Cambridge that can be fads - ANY diet can be a fad if the person doesn't learn about healthy eating in the process. There have been people who've lost a ton of weight on MyFitnessPal and gained it all back because they didn't change their previous habits. That's a fad. There are people who go to the gym and 'clean eat' for 6 months only to gain it all back because they hadn't actually learnt anything. Bottom line is, whether something is a fad is dependant on if the person actually learns anything. Cambridge has a full maintenance plan which they recommend if one doesn't want to gain the weight they've lost back. You won't be living off shakes for the rest of your life.

    Yes, Cambridge CAN be extreme, but it is effective. It's safe (it's one of the most researched diets out there), and you won't gain the weight back if you follow the maintenance plan and stick to it. Your chances of gaining the weight back after doing maintenance is no more than if you did conventional eating:"/MFP/exercise.
  • jbse26
    jbse26 Posts: 39 Member
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    Hi
    I guess you're from the UK? Why don't you start with the NHS plan?Link at the end. It is easy to lose a kilo a week (or it was for me) and all the advice is backed up by the BMA and its all totally free! It introduces a new thing to do each week for 12 weeks so you don't get thrown in at the deep end. People are right you have to keep the weight off or there is no point, and it seems hard to know what to do when you stop a VLCD. On the other hand i have lost weight "slow and steady " at 1 lb a week and also put it all back on, including on here ( Lost 40 then put back 56lbs with MFP and began again this May )so there is no perfect answer- go with what works for you but please try and think what you will do to keep the weight off- again the NHS plan is helpful on this and it combines easily with MFP- but there are more UK products in the data base it uses. The forums on here are the best by far though.
    Good Luck.!There are a lot of scare stories on here but i have seen people at work use Cambridge and they were fine, it's just they put the weight back on afterwards. You could save your pennies and join a gym? The NHS does not condemn it so I would not be swayed by the doom mongers unless they can provide some hard evidence against it if it is what you want to do. NHS just says it is problematic in terms of compliance.

    http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/weight-loss-guide/Pages/losing-weight-getting-started.aspx
  • chatterbox3110
    chatterbox3110 Posts: 630 Member
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    Sorry, but I'm another one who would advise against any liquid diet replacements. I used them years ago and lost a lot of weight in the first couple of weeks, then for 6 weeks solid I never lost a pound, despite using it exactly as directed. I felt very unwell, and regained the weight I'd lost and more once I stopped it.

    Liquid diets are fine in the short term for a 'quick fix' but if you need to lose a lot of weight then a change of lifestyle and eating habits is what's needed. I've used MFP for a while now, and although I'm having a stressful time at the moment due to personal circumstances, I've only gained a couple of pounds whereas in the past it would have all gone back on again and more, so logging my food intake on here works for me.

    I'd also add my sister in law ended up in hospital on a drip after using liquid meal replacements as she was so malnourished, and the supplier didn't want to know.

    I wish you luck though and hope you're successful.
  • Transformer711
    Transformer711 Posts: 55
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    It's not a rule that you'll gain weight back just because you did a liquid diet. The gaining weight happens as a result of not having learnt about healthy eating. It's nothing to do with the method. Cambridge is well known to be nutritionally balanced. You have a consultant whom you meet with weekly and they monitor your progress. In fact, my doctor recommended it to my dad who is obese. Would a doctor recommend a diet that is as nutritionally unbalanced as people make out Cambride is? Probably not. Also, to do the 100% liquid plan on Cambridge (Sole Source) you need a letter from a doctor. It's not something anyone can jump on as a "quick fix".

    I'm not saying Cambridge is for everyone. But honestly, some of the these comments are just full of scare mongering, citing tons of issues with the diet without actually having any evidence for it.
  • CupcakeDefeater
    CupcakeDefeater Posts: 113 Member
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    Hey thought I would chuck in my opinion

    I love the Cambridge diet! Not only have I kicked any unhealthy food cravings I had, but I have also kicked some of my bad habits! Since starting 7 weeks ago I am 35lbs down, can actually run on the treadmill and now love going to the gym. I completely stopped biting my nails, no longer drink alcohol every evening and have cut down on cigarettes from 20+ a day to 5 or less. These were not conscious decisions either I just realised around week 4 that I no longer went through my tobacco as fast, and my nails I only really noticed when I scratched my leg on day (after being attacked by a swarm of wasps- another story for another day lol!) and nearly drew blood! Haha

    My hair is so much healthier, my skin is the best it has ever been (probably because of the sheet amount of water I now drink!) I'm never hungry and am more energetic than I have ever been (basically jump out of bed every morning- always up before my alarm!)

    For me the Cambridge weight plan basically saved me. I had one weekend off plan, 2 days at a wedding eating whatever I wanted and drunk way too much. I probably gained 1 lb that weekend but by the time my consultant came round a week later I was down 7 from the previous weigh in.

    You have to follow the steps to go back up to eating a 'normal' diet - which is not the 'normal diet you had in the first place!' You can't just stop and eat like before - why do people always use "once you eat normally you will gain all the weight back and more!" As a reason not to do this diet? Of course you will! You gained all the weight you had in the first place by eating what you considered 'normal' follow the steps and learn what cal you need to maintain, people are not going from a vlcd eating one plate of pasta and suddenly being 70lbs overweight again! It's just a trial and error and making sure you are giving your own body what it needs to maintain.

    I would recommend this diet to anyone, but the key is finding a good consultant. Mine is lovely and comes round my house so I can't get away from those scales lol! - cheat or not she is going to find out hahahaha !

    I hope you let us know how it goes if you decide to give it a try! But good luck with whichever way you choose to loose! Xx

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