The Cambridge Diet
Advantages Fast weight loss
Disadvantages MIGHT be bad for your health
Detailed Rating
| Taste | |
|---|---|
| Effectiveness | |
| Price level |
Author's newest reviews
|
21/05/2007
The Cambridge Diet |
|---|
I went on the Cambridge diet last summer and lost 3 stones. I was once 12 st 12 & I went down to as light as 9 st 9, which is a really healthy weight for my height (5 ft 5).
I'm currently studying at university & since my exams began, I've put on weight again. I put on about a stone!This diet was really good though, but not the healthiest diet so I wouldn't recommend you go on the sole source of the diet unless you SERIOUSLY need to lose weight. What's sole source? You eat virtually nothing. It consists of 3 or 4 Cambridge diets depending on your gender and height (I will explain this later once I've explained what you can eat).
One thing that I liked most about this diet is that there are different stages of weight loss. Once you reach your goal, you can go up the stages of maintenance. When I was maintaining my weight, I started losing a lot of hair and it was scaring the hell out of me! I went to see my doctor about it. He said that it was because my immune system wasn't too good and I'm not eating enough vitamins & stuff. I told him about the Cambridge diet that I was on. He said that it could be that that effected my immune system because it wasn't very healthy and it was quite artificial. But didn't the Cambridge diet contain all nutrients and minerals that you need everyday? I'm not sure if this hair losing thing was happening to everyone. Maybe my health wasn't good enough to start with. Who knows...I continued the maintenance stages because this wasn't what caused my hair loss. You'll find out a little bit later what I though did.
Another thing I liked about this diet was that you lose weight really quickly. On the 1st week of it, I lost 10 pounds. 6 pounds the second week and about 3-4 pounds on the weeks after.To start the Cambridge diet, you need find a diet counsellor first. You can find one from this website: www.cambridge-diet.com and find one in your area. Arrange a meeting with them and talk about starting the diet.
Not EVERYONE needs to start at sole source. You can start on any stage of the diet. Not sure which stage is suitable for you? Discuss this with your Cambridge Diet counsellor at your meeting. I don't recommend the sole source thought because this is what caused my hair loss. I don't want this to happen to you guys... The hair loss might not happen to everyone though but I don't want you to take the risk... Not a very nice thing to go through...You need to drink at LEAST 2.25 litres (or 4 pints) of water. You can also have black tea or black coffee - NO MILK and NO SUGAR, but a calorie free sweetener tablet may be used. The stages of the Cambridge diet are of different calorie intake. Once your goal weight is reached, you will go up each stage - each stage is for 2 weeks except for the Add-a-Meal step (this is still part of stage 1). The stages of the Cambridge diet:
STAGE ONE - Around 450 calories per day (for people with at least a stone to lose):1 chocolate coated bar (This is not allowed in the first week in which you start but is allowed from the second week).
2 packets of soup OR milkshake OR one of each (This comes in a powder form and you mix it with water, which can be warm but NOT boiling hot! As this would ruin the nutrients of it).
STAGE TWO - Around 790 calories per day:
3 cambridge dietsThis stage is quite similar to the Add-a-Meal week except the portions are bigger and milk is allowed. What foods can you eat? I don't have the complete list with me but if you are wanting to start the diet, you can ask your diet council for the Cambridge diet eating guide, which contains ALL the information you need for each stage of the diet. It also has recipes, which I really like! Remember, if you are on maintenance, this is only for 2 weeks before you move onto stage 3.
STAGE THREE - Around 1000 calories per day2 cambridge diets
half pint of skimmed milk (can be added to your teas or coffees)
One 150 calories breakfast
Green salad for lunch
A dinner of 400 calories
1 piece of fruit of 60 calories
STAGE FOUR - Around 1200 calories per day:
2 Cambridge dietsThis stage was also exciting! You could eat so much more! You could eat things like a quorn burger. Ask your diet counsellor for the guide book full of recipes. 2 weeks if you're on maintenance.
STAGE FIVE - 1500 calories per day:1 Cambridge diet
426ml (3/4 pint) skimmed milk (can be added to your teas and coffees)
At least 2.25 litres (4 pints) water
Breakfast of 300 calories
Lunch of 350 calories plus 50 calories of a portion of fruit
Dinner of 350 calories plus a dessert of 150 calories
A snack of 100 calories
Since I put on a stone, I'm going to go on the "3 day diet" and see how that goes. If you asked me, I wouldn't do this diet again. I dunno what made me do it. I was probably too impulsive. I enjoy food too much and its a waste of money. Oh, I forgot! Each Cambridge diet costs £1.55. So, that's £32.55 a week on sole source. Quite a lot of money don't you think? I would recommend this diet ONLY from stage 3 to stage 5. Definitely NOT the sole source (1st half of stage 1)!
If anyone is on this diet or is thinking about going on it, let me know!
Attention, this is the first review from this author
Instead of giving a negative rating, consider:

Help this member by giving your advice

Report fraud (for example plagiarism) or other issue with the review to the Ciao support team
Add your comment
dee2206 17/01/2008 10:47
Claiiiree 18/10/2007 12:20
TheHairyGodmother 23/05/2007 21:32
moogi48 23/05/2007 12:28
Re-rated, better information. moogi
im rubbish at sticking to diets as I find them too boring