Cambridge Diet
 

Hi
I know I'll probably get criticised for this on here but I've decided to go on the Cambridge diet, I just realised that I have tried everything and I have spoken to lots of people on the discovery health forums and this seems to be the best option for me. I have promised myself to give it two weeks at full go and if I feel really ill on it I will give it up since no diet is worth that. I just need to get this weight off, my mobility is getting worse and I can't breathe properly.
I really hope you will all support me even though it isn't the path you might not choose.
Thanks
Heather:carrot: :carrot:

what is it?

It is a liquid only very low calorie diet look here

I'm not going to criticise you, it's your body and if you feel it's right for you, it's your right to give it a try. It isn't something that I'd want to try for myself, and I'm not sure that it would deal with my underlying issues, but I'll still support you in your efforts, don't worry. I would be interested to know how you find it, and what you think of it.

I think I agree with that. my big concern with it would be that you start off losing weight and it makes you feel great about yourself then it just isn't maintainable because lets face it you can't just live off liquids for the rest of your life you start adding in a bit of your regular diet and then put weight back on and it gets you depressed and then you end up binging and putting on more weight than you had to start with. That'd happen to me anyway I'm a bugger for fad diets. But then again it must work for some people or else noone would be buying it.

Good luck with it I hope its what you are looking for. Make sure you stay healthy though.

I wish you all the very best with it. I have to admit that I too have been tempted by this diet as I am so sick of not being able to even climb a flight of stairs without getting out of breath, so I understand where you are coming from.
My one big worry would be loose skin. I have a lot of weight to lose and I would worry that losing it so fast would result in this.

You're a vegan aren't you Heva? What do you eat in a normal day?

I'm veggie and went through a vegan phase but couldn't stick to it. Its so hard!!

:goodluck: Heather :D there was another lady who did that and she lost loads of weight and reached her goal in about 5mths I think :chin: she looked fabulous too ;) Melissa is doing it but she has'nt posted for a while :dunno: she is doing great too :D

Well you know you'll have my support, since I am doing the same thing! (Not Cambridge, but a liquid diet)

I think every person needs to deal with underlying issues, not just ones using liquid diets. I've done lots of other diets and never dealt with what was REALLY eating me. That is the difference this time for me.

I know mentally I needed to see the scale move down drastically soon or I was going to give up totally.

I am a vegan, usually I would eat a lot of beans and pulses, I would also eat a lot of traditional meat meals like shepherds pie or bolognaise using the vegan soy mince stuff that comes dry and you can keep in your cupboard forever. My main downfall is eating biscuits and crisps. For me (I am lactose intolerant) it was the choice of having less choice or having major tummy aches and nasty things happening in the loo...sometimes the urge for chocolate would win out but very rarely. That is the one thing that worries me about this diet, there isn't too much lactose free choice but I'll go with it....
Jen, we have to meet up next time I'm back there, my other half is from Clearwater Beach, he is living here in sunny Salford right now! We will have to go Torrid and Lane Bryant shopping!

WOW! I haven't heard of the Cambridge Diet in years! I didn't know it still existed. Isn't it a lot like SlimFast only no sensible meal for dinner? Good luck with it! Let us all know how it works. :carrot:

LOL! That's one way of putting it!!! Yup, just the delicious, nutricious shakes morning noon and night!

I don't think eating is actually a problem anymore, I've guzzled so many Haribo sour strawberries down in preperation that I have taken the skin of my tongue...oh it burns... ;-)

Mary30 lost loads on Cambridge, she popped her head in over the weekend, so I am sure she'll see this and come and talk to you.

I would be suprised if anyone criticised you on this part of the board. We all have different personalities, bodies and needs. Like YP I wouldn't do a liquid diet, but I wouldn't judge anyone who chose to.

It's a perfectly valid way of losing weight. But for me, I love food, I love healthy foods more than I love junk, it's just junk was kinda convenient before, and I love to exercise and I need fuel for that, and I don't think I would get that on a liquid diet.

You do whatever works for you, so you can be a nice pretty butterfly, instead of an attractive if rather green catterpillar!

Heva, Cambridge diet, from what I've heard reintroduces you to food properly and uses GI principles, so you learn a bit about how food fills you up.

Good luck and I hope you do well :D

Good luck to you anyway.

Personally it is my idea of **** - headaches everyday when I was on it and constipation -oh my god! This was in the old days. I am better myself doing Slimming World as it is really 'normal eating', no funny foods or forbidden foods.

I guess a 'fad' diet is ok if you have a litle to lose or to start you off.

Remember to drink enough water on it.

What's in those shakes? Is it vegan? Just curious as I'd have thought some of them would contain milk?

I've never tried the Cambridge diet - its probably the only one I haven't tried. But - I think you have to try all kinds of things until you find the right one for you.

I do know that you must drink LOTS of water while using it because otherwise the minerals and vitamins concentrate in the liver and kidneys which can make you ill.

Thanks all, about the vegan shakes it is quite limited, I can have the mushroom soup and they make two flavours of shake that are milk free.

Well, day one is almost over. I've come to the conclusion that the reason you lose weight is all the running up the stairs to the loo! I've consumed more water than I ever have in my entire life. The drinks really aren't too bad, I quite like them, I'd prefer the soup with a bit (alot!) of bread and butter but you can't have everything! I saw my doctor today who just said to make sure I see him regularly, he also diagnosed M.E. which knocked me for six, I had been feeling tired and run down since I had some real flu a few weeks ago. Apparently very few people get full blown flu in their life and alot of those who do go on to develop M.E. He said the weightloss will help with that. He also said that if I lose weight and get down to a healthy B.M.I. that he will do everything he can to get my loose skin removed on the NHS (I already have a small 'apron'.)
Thanks for your support
Heather

That would be nice! Hopefully your doc can arrange that.

Me...I'll probably end up saving my money up for it....

What is M.E.?

:( Poor you. Hope you feel better soon.

shrinkingchica - M.E is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

Yeah, he said it now has a lot of names, the one he used was post viral fatigue syndrome. I am constantly tired and run down and always have a cold and runny nose. I'm not sleep tired though and have trouble dropping off to sleep.

Hi Heather, I just want to wish you well with your diet plan. Like someone said we are all different and need to find what works for us. I've never tried liquid diets - I think you are very brave to make the decision to give up food!

You mentioned your "apron" earlier. I have one now, do you know does that mean I will definitely have lots of excess loose skin there when I do get to my goal weight?

By the way, I used to live in Monton (near Eccles) so pretty close to you I bet!
Good luck

Another 'Apron' lady here!

Funny I am not at all bothered by my thighs or huge @rse but that awful jiggly jelly belly apron thing - yeuch!

I think I got mine a while ago when I dieted down quite quick cos I remember getting down to 8.5 stone and thinking there was no difference - obviously there was but plenty of loose skin too!

I was looking in the mirror in the lift at work and unfortunately the t shirt was not long enough to go over the belly completely so it was really noticeable.

Same here Peacock - I carry all my excess 5st from my waist down - thighs and ar&e dont bother me but I hate that tummy thing that is going on...so my question..are we stuck with this forever? What about doing cruncehs and other ab exercises, will that not help...if it wont I think I'll just stay fat whats the point ?!

I think exercise can only do so much. I have seen people on tv who have had surgery after exercise has failed. I think after a while the skin won't spring back (when you reach a cetain age - whatever age that is ).

I suspect I have reached a certain age! Just did a search here on the excess skin thing and found a great thread on the Maintainers forum. It seems like it probably wont spring back - factors against me - age, how long I've been overweight, and the amount I need to lose.

I saw a programme recently about loose skin surgery - and it was rather frightening to say the least. Maybe I'll just stay fat.....

I'm going to have the surgery if I can. I have an apron from when I was on chemotherapy and got down to just under 9 stone (from 16 stone) in a matter of months and I was still in a size 18 due to my apron!

Artemis...I live in Ellesmere Park so not far from Monton...

I think I'm 'that' age as well. Do you remember those toys called 'Weebles' - sort of rolly polly things which rocked but didn't fall over - I'm that shape. I'm hope that some will go with exercise - but if it doesn't then the exercise won't hurt me and its good for my general health. :carrot:

DH has just told me that I had a jelly belly when we met 10 years ago - and I was about a size 10 to 12 at the time! (I didn't know that - I thought I was in good shape! :stress: )

"weebles wobble but they don't fall down! :blah:

Was that the theme tune?

DH agrees, says I'm like a Weeble with legs. Such flattery!

Oh you gotta love the male attempt at flattery!!!

I am tormented by my awful tummy. The rest of the weight I have to lose is stuck around my middle. I have slim hips and a small bottom. It won't spring back now, due to my age and two caesarians. I am hoping that by the time I am nine and a half stone it won't be as hangy so to speak!!! If I had the money and weren't afraid of getting a dose of MRSA or something equally as nasty I'd be under that knife like a shot!!

Good luck with the liquid thingy Heva.

SW 14 stone 10lbs
CW 10 stone 4lbs
GW 9 stone 7lbs

You'll be at 9 7 before you know it now.

My mum is just under 8 stone and she has a tummy is teeny everywhere else though.


Mine is all on my massive legs and bum my top half is way too tiny I need bigger boobs!!


Give us updates on the liquid diet I'm intruiged

Good luck on the Cambridge Diet. :carrot: I did it years ago and although I lost a lot I soon went back to my awful eating habits (we are talking either a Terry's Chocolate Orange or a box of Maltesers for breakfast here... then steadily downhill from there :o )

It is great for a quick fix or to start you off as it gives almost instant results, if you re-introduce a sensible diet plan slowly then I think it is def. worth a go.

I know what Malteasers are (Yummmmm) but I don't know what a Terry's Chocolate Orange is!

My favorite English chocolate is galaxy... YUMMMMMMMMMM

Basically orange flavoured chocolate hsaped like a whole orange to be split in segments.

I used to love them but after making my little borther jealous one Christmas by eating a whole one in front of him I now cannot stand them!

Argh! FOOD PORN! I love Terry's chocolate orange... stop teasing me!