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Cambridge Diet
A liquid diet that may be too calorie restrictive for long-term success.
BACKGROUND
With new diets hitting the market faster than we can lose a pound, it is not too often that you stumble upon a diet that has been around for more than 20 years. The Cambridge Diet has proudly clocked some years under its svelte belt. Developed in the 80s, it still enjoys a very loyal and passionate audience of dieters who have been successful at losing weight and keeping it off.
It is a liquid diet program that involves drinking 3 servings of the signature Cambridge Diet formula each day with or without food. The three servings provide you with protein (either 30 or 50 grams), carbohydrates, fat, fiber and your daily-required vitamin and mineral allowances.
About ten years ago, the Cambridge Diet added an additional product to their 330 Original Product. The 420 Food for Life product contains 100% of the required daily protein needs in 3 servings whereas the 330 Product contains 75% of the required protein. The protein source comes from whey and soy. Both of them are nutritional supplements that do not contain drugs, medicine, stimulants or herbs.
There are four ways for you to follow the Cambridge Diet: - The Fast Track: Consume 3-4 servings of Cambridge a day and no additional food. - The Alternate Program: Use 3-4 servings of Cambridge for one day with no food and then the following day, consume 3 servings of Cambridge with the addition of 400-800 calories of low fat, low calorie health food. Continue to alternate in this manner. - The Regular Program: Eat 3 servings of Cambridge 15- 20 minutes prior to each low calorie meal. Calories should not exceed 400-800 for the entire day. - The Regular Program 2: Consume 3 servings of Cambridge and eat one meal of low calorie food each day. Calories should not exceed 400- 800 calories for the entire day.
PRO
- Cambridge Diet contains all the essential nutrients
- Has a proven success rate
- Safe for diabetics and those with high blood pressure
CON
- Its limited consumption of food may incite excessive eating
- May be too calorically-restrictive for some individuals
- Does not teach you to eat in a healthy and long-term way
- Long-term weight loss may not be sustained
- Calories might be too restrictive for exercise
DIET and NUTRITION
The foundation of the Cambridge Diet is its signature line of shakes. They come in an array of flavors like chocolate, vanilla, eggnog, strawberry, cappuccino, banana cream and many more. The shakes come in two styles: The Original and the Food for Life.
The Food for Life product contains 51 grams of protein, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fat and 140 calories per shake. It also includes 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals. The Original contains 31 grams of protein and contains about 110 calories per shake.
There is also a line of additional Cambridge products like soups, nutrition bars, and super oats.
When taken the prescribed three times a day, you'll only consume 420 calories. If you select to follow a plan that allows for food, you should not consume anymore than an additional 800 calories a day and these calories should come from low-calorie and low-fat foods like vegetables and lean proteins. If you are on the smaller side, it is recommended that you only consume an additional 400 calories on top of the 420 calories for the Cambridge products.
You are also strongly encouraged to drink at least 3-4 liters of water each day.
EXERCISE
Since the Cambridge Diet is so restrictive, exercise should be done cautiously. It is not recommended to start a new strenuous exercise program while on the Cambridge Diet. Moderate exercise like walking or biking is useful once you start to lose weight, providing that it is approached with caution and not done with excess.
CONCLUSION
There is no question that The Cambridge Diet has been around for a long time. And in the process, many have had luck losing weight by following its strict dietary regimen. Since the diet is so low in calories, check with your doctor before starting it, especially if you have an existing medical condition.
The Cambridge Diet devotees swear by the diet's ability to help them lose weight as long as the program is followed correctly. But like most diets that rely on shakes or supplements to shed pounds, its potential for long-term weight loss and for instilling sound and healthy eating habits in you is not that promising.
Common Misspellings
cambrdge Diet, cambradge diet, cambridge deit, camebridge diet, cambridge liquid diet, cambridgediet.com
Related Diets: Cabbage Soup Diet, Juice Diet, Liquid Diet, Master Cleanse Diet, New Lifestyle Diet, Slim-Fast, Isopure Shakes, 21 Pounds in 21 Days
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SUZ - Congratulations im pleased you have started your journey in a few weeks you will feel so much better. How much do you want to lose suz? SAM - It does get better believe me and when you have your weigh in all the agonising will be worth it. well done carrie hope the 8lb comes off soon how much have you lost?
Hi everyone, im well excited my dr signed my form n im collecting my goods this eve, so tomorrow n a few weeks to follow are gonna be very testing - so fingers crossed wish me luck...... good luck guys!
(16/07/2008 - 11:30am) Hi All! SUZ - I am SO happy you managed to get sorted! It would have been terrible if you had been unable to start after all of your research! Hope it goes as well for you as you hope! Im sure it will! SURFHUNNY - f you put your powder packs in your suitcase, I shouldn'tthink that you would have a problem going through customs. Hope everyone is having a good week! x
8llbs to go to target weight guys, seriously this is sooooo hard it is just not shifting! xxx
hiya i started cd on tuesday & im staving !! ive got a really bad head & i feel sick im hopein this feelin ends soon !!
Hi everyone, ive been to see my consultant and it sounds too good to be true....just waiting for forms to be signed and then thats it im starting and im justso excited i dont really wanna have to wait, but hey wots another couple of days. So fingers crossed i will b back saying how much ive lost and how many inches - so good luck everyone spk soon x
Hi guys, all your comments have really helped me make up my mind about starting this diet. My friend has just lost 6stone on Lighter Life, but it's so expensive, and the nearest counsellor is 50 miles away so Cambridge seems like the better option for me all round. The only question I have is has anyone taken the shake sachets on holiday abroad with them? If I start as soon as possible I'll need to take them away with me, which is not a problem, I just wondered where I'd stand with getting them through customs etc. You're all inspirational Thank you.
Hi everyone, thanks again for all the comments. I am going this evening to see my consultant in west london, but i think i will need the form signed, which unfortunatley is going to delay me starting the cd, as its terrible trying to get an appointment in my gp's! But i cant wait to start and start seeing the weight dropping off - please god lol! I am hoping that by early next week i will have started and i will keep you all updated.... im pleased for everyone as it seems to be a brilliant diet and this chat page is very helpful, because you are dealing with real people that are experiencing and maybe suffering the way you are... the only one thing im slightly scared off is menstral cycle!!!!!!! i could eat and eat and eat before that and im just worried that im not going to be able to ride through the hunger and pure mood swings without eating crap - but we will see lol - spk soon x
reading all these comments has really spurred me on. I have 8 stone to lose and am starting diet this friday. My first app is on the Thursday. Can too much water be bad for you and can you take headache tablets on it? Jo x
Hi all. I am new to this and i've just been reading all the comments. I did the lighter life diet for about 4 months. I lost nearly 4 stone which was great and I felt really good. However I came off it and just went back to my old eating habits and I have put all the weight back on and more!! I didn't really find the counselling that helpful either. I have looked into the cambridge diet and it looks exactly the same as lighterlife. So myself and my husband are going to do the CD. For the 2 of us to do it is only a little bit more expensive than it was for just me to do the LL! Also with my husband doing it with me it should hopefully be alot easier. My husband is startint tomorrow but i'm going to start in 2 weeks as we are going away next week and I want to enjoy myself. I just hope this time I can keep the weight off as I am really disappointed in myself for putting it all back on. Well done all you people who have lost...
Hi suz - just thought id tell you my personal experience with cd. I have lost 39lbs in 9 weeks and I have been having 2 shakes a day (the tetra brik ones - you dont have to mix them) and then fish/chicken with veg or salad on the evening. This suits me as I do eat out quite a lot, and I can incorporate the diet into my lifestyle without having to turn down invitations. I too have many more stones to loose, but feel with a meal to look forward to at night, I will make it!. Good luck and hope i've helped.
(14/7/2008 - 20:25) - SUZ you worry too much! Hehe. I have never lost any hair, and to be honest not many people I know have lost hair. So it isnt definitely going to happen. And as I said, you can have food with the cambridge diet, so speak with a counsellor. Some packs you mix up with water, some come ready made and then bars too. Lots of Variety! EMMA - I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU! Really pleased you got a new counsellor. Thats great news. Jackie x
Hi everyone, I have had the most terrible week! a whole week of eating... i really have no idea what happened to me... i felt like i had lost the will and could have killed so i caved in and ate!... back on track now though... thats the first time in 12 weeks i have been driven crazy!!... SUZ - you have to mix the shakes and soup yourself i feel that the cambridge is worth it...believe me it will challenge and test you but it will be worth it... ive lost 3 stone and feel so much better. My Dr had to sign a form for me because i had about 6 stone to lose and my BMI was high... so it depends on what your BMI is. Good luck with it.. i have not experienced any hair loss!!!! EMMA - i'm pleased to hear that you will finally have the support you need. Good luck and i hope it works out for you... i will be back to let you all know how i have managed this week and if i have fallen off the band waggon! Fingers crossed eh!
Hi im in my fourth week and have found that i am starving again, im wondering if its the bars making me hungry? All ive had when i have ate is meat so hopefully that will be ok. Has anyone else found that the bars make you want to eat or is it just me?
Hi everyone: Hope all of you are ok? I am fine, i just wanted to tell everyone (as i am sure they remember that i was very unhappy with my counsellor) i have now found another one and i am due to see her on Wednesday evening; she will be coming to my home address on a WEEKLY basis and even though i haven't seen her yet, just spoken to her on the phone, i feel so much more motivated! To have weekly support (and she is even £3 cheaper than my old one!) WOW, will be great for me, i am the sort of person that needs to be disciplined, and motivated so i am really looking forward to meeting her, not having so many blips and to get to goal. Hope all of you are doing mighty fine, and you all sound so focused and determined. xxxxx
Hi SUZ I have too heard that Cambridge is much tastier than lighter life! I've also in general, heard a lot more genuine success stories from Cambridge, people do actually keep the weight off it seems x
(14/7/2008 - 10:30am) Hi SUZ - There are a variety of options for the Cambridge diet. One of them is Sole Source - this is food packs only, there are also other options such as adding one meal, or two meals etc. I believe this is on a calorie count basis. I think it is very much a case of what suits you! Speak with a counsellor! Hope that answers your question! x
Just had my weigh in and can now see the light at the end of the tunnel.Lost another 3lbs thats 20.5lbs in 5 weeks!!!!! on my last week of sole source then onto the next 3 weeks of introducing food.Does any1 know how to use a knife and fork ha ha.Just anothe r half a stont to go and im done its just keeping the fat off then!!!!!
Hi Jackie... i have jus been to see a lighter life consultant and too be honest, she didnt really sell it to me, although she did say she didnt need to the weight loss in itself sells, but if thats the case and its all about the weight loss then id rather cost the cost by half and go on the cambridge diet and if necessary pay £15 to spk to a real therapist. I think i will try the cambridge diet....How soon can you start the diet and also i am concerned that with lighter life it is a total food replacement system, is that the case with cambridge? Thanks guys for taking the time out to give me ur experiences and views - it really helps - oh and do u need ur dr to complete forms for the cambridge? good luck peeps, n hopefully very soon i will be joining you! Suz x
Hi again, just been thinking....do u have to mix the soups and shakes or are they already mixed? and ive been reading through all these messages and have read umpteen time people loosing hair - aaaagggghhhhh im scared lol......
