CAMBRIDGE DIET club...anyone like to join? xxx

[mrspoppins]

Hi!
I'm a nearly forty mum of two beautiful girls who has reached that point I needed to reach to realise that I am worth fighting for and want to change...FOR ME!!!
I am 10 stones overweight and started the Cambridge diet yesterday! So far, so good.
I have a friend who is also doing this with me beginning today. She is also 10 stones overweight so we'll hopefully be on it together for the long haul!!
Join us! Let's post weekly updates and offer help to each other in our quest for a better life for ourselves.

xxx

[catsmother]

Hi Mrs Poppins !

Great minds must think alike because I was going to start a thread on the very same subject.

After literally months of umming and ahhing over this, I've finally taken the plungte and am due to start the diet proper on Monday. This weekend, I'm trying to "wind down" food, drink lots of water, eat lots of fruit, no carbs and lots of veg soup (albeit of the nice Covent Garden variety).

I don't know how much I weigh. Told my counsellor that I have a fair idea due to how uncomfortable my clothes are but I just can't face the sickening reality of that figure right now. Instead, I am interested in my weight loss, and how my clothes feel. Somewhere along the line, when, hopefully, I've had a boost from some good loss results, then I might actually look at the scales.

I think I probably have 3-4 stones to lose.

Like you, I want to get back to being the person who looks and feels like ME (not seen for around 4 years). When I look in the mirror now, I simply don't recognise the thing staring back -yuck. I'm also hoping to alleviate the niggling little problems you get with being overweight like sweating even after minimal exertion, swollen ankles and awful heartburn. Most importantly, I want to be able to open my very large wardrobe and be able to pick anything knowing it'll fit ....... as opposed to slopping about in Tesco £15 jeans (x 3 pairs) endlessly, feeling like a grotty frump.

I won't know loss details until Monday week, but may well pop in to whinge, moan, commiserate and congratulate (hopefully the last one most) in the meantime.

Good luck with yours !

[mrspoppins]

Hi Cat's Mum
Just remember that apples are really full of carbs as are most fruit...it's the sugars... You'll be fine though.I did it cold turkey...(btw that's really low in carbs...none !!)... I'm drinking lots and...yes...I am feeling hungry but it's only day 2. The hunger will go by day 3/4 so I'll get there. Speak to you on Monday.
xx

[HammerHeadShark]

Hi there, just wanted to wish you the best with Cambridge - I started the diet in April this year and have lost 8.5 stones and feel like a different person! It is drastic and not for everyone but personally I found being "free" from food quite liberating and surprisingly easy.

It has totally changed my life (cheesy but true) I have so much more energy with my daughters, feel much more fit and healthy, am generally more confident and can go into "normal" shops and buy lovely clothes rather than shapeless baggy stuff that covers everything up. My best moment was buying size 8 jeans in the Gap - never in a million years though I could ever wear small sizes having been overweight forever! I think its a great diet but I have had to change my eating habits completely (90% of the time!) to make sure I keep the weight off.

Anyway just wanted to give positive vibes from someone who has come out the other side - its so worth sticking to and the fast results are really motivating - good luck soon to be skinnies!

[HammerHeadShark]

Cheers Dimpled thighs - have posted links to Lighter Life and Cambridge Diet - I did a combination of both - basically you don't eat ANY conventional food but get all your nutrient requirements from soups, milkshakes or bars and your body goes into ketosis and burns up your fat stores for energy needs. You need to drink a minimum of 2-4litres of water a day and average weight loss is a stone a month, sometimes more.

www.lighterlife.com/2006v4/

www.cambridge-diet.com/index.html

Hope the links work - I am a techno idiot, but a slimmer one than I used to be. Let me know if I can help with any other info.

[mrspoppins]

WOW WOW WOW
Hammerhead shark....fabulous weight loss. You stick here, right with us and keep us going, won't you?

Just a note to anyone thinking about starting this....LIGHTERLIFE and CAMBRIDGE are both made by cambridge.Lighterlife bought the rights to market the product. They are identical, a few different flavours but nutritionally the same. Lighterlife is a lot more expensive, almost double nowadays, but with the diet goes compulsory counselling which works for some and not for others.

It's a thought to bear in mind as Cambridge is around £35 weekly but lighterlife is around £68. This is prohibitive to some...it would be to me!!!...and I'd hate anyone to be put off by looking there first.

Day 2 almost over. A blip tomorrow as I've got to have someone over for lunch unexpectedly and this is a private diet to me so I will eat some lunch. Will NOT let it rule the day though. Will still have my 3 shakes and say hey ho !!!
xxxxK

[catsmother]

Hmmmm ...... have just had my 1st ever shake.

I mixed a tiny bit of water with the powder to what I thought looked like a smooth paste, then gradually added the rest of the water - but it was still very lumpy (lots of nasty little lumps) and quite horrid as a result !

Has anyone found a foolproof way of ensuring they're smooth ? Will I have to use a blender ?

[HammerHeadShark]

Hi catsmother, sounds like my first ever shake - minging and gritty - I could never manage to get them lump free without a handblender and also found using really cold water made them more palatable.

I found this recipe thread great when I fancied something more solid - you can make the packs into muffins, crisps, biscuits, fudge, popadums (you do need to stretch your imagination a bit!). I'm sure the link isn't working properly - I seem incapable of doing it right, but hopefully you can find the recipes - I was very thankful to whoever thought them up!

CD recipes

Keep going its worth it

[catsmother]

Thanks for the reply HHS & link.

I didn't take any chances after the disastrous 1st one and dusted off a hand blender which worked just fine thankfully. Much better.

My counsellor's actually given me a sheet with about a dozen or so recipies on it, so will no doubt be trying those out shortly.

Congratulations on your loss BTW. Size 8 is brilliant.

[Overtiredmum]

Ok can I just ask what the difference is between the Cambridge Diet and Slim-Fast? I have read a little about the Cambridge and see that they give you counselling and basically no food, but apart from that (and the expense) I wondered what the difference is? I have just started my second week of Slim-Fast and feel really good. I have a shake/meal bar for breakfast, a snack bar and piece of fruit for mid-morning snack, a shake or meal bar for lunch, a snack for the afternoon, and then a dinner up to 600 cals and then a low fat dessert and fruit for the evening. I haven't weighed myself but after a week I was wearing a pair of trousers I have never been able to do up. It costs me between five and ten pounds a week on the shakes and bars etc, much more affordable and I feel really good for it.

[mrspoppins]

I think we all have to do whatever suits us personally.
Slim fast, although very low calorie, doesn't provide 100% of all the daily requirements of nutrients etc...which is why you need to add the third balanced meal.At £10/week or so, it is cheaper on the face of it but you need the third meal of the day and so need to buy food for that.
Cambridge is £35/week, so £25 more but with no other shopping to buy so it's swings and roundabouts.
Lighterlife is around £65/week, is nutritionally the same as Cambridge and done in the same way but has 2hours of counselling a week included in the price.

Like everything, what suits one will not suit another. My friend, also on Cambridge finds all the shakes disgusting but truly and honestly, I like them and don't see her point at all !!!

Great to get into a pair of forbidden jeans though...bet you felt great when the zip glided up !!
xK

[Overtiredmum]

God yes, and I have been on a diet ever since I had DS June 2005! Slim-Fast seems to suit me, if I eat then I tend not to stop and this way I know exactly what I can consume and even look forward to my evening meal. I have been taking additional vitamin supplements and I still have plenty of milk because there is no way I can do without my morning/afternoon/evening caffeine! I don't feel bloated any more whereas I was felt bloated and just feel generally better. I don't intend to do it forever more, probably just until Chrimbo and then substitute the shakes etc for healthy meals of the same calorie content until I get to a weight I am happy with, but it certainly seems to be working for me as a general kick-start. Anyway, I intend to weight myself Friday for the first time so will post and let you know how it is going. Thanks for the advice.

[mrspoppins]

bad day today....begger!!!!!

[catsmother]

Oh dear, what's happened ?

Must have been bad if you were up at 4 in the morning to post !

[mrspoppins]

well, now I'm up at 3.30am to post this one !!! Bit of an insomniac!!
Work has been hectic this week. I am a Nanny as well as a Mum and I've been working very long hours...today for example, started at 8.15am and finished at 10pm...I think my bosses forget I have my own family too!
Premenstrual week...rubbish hours and not enough routine and organisation is my downfall this week. I am weighed tomorrow....actually today!!!, so will post my meagre results.
I will also get batteries for my scales as I think I need to be able to weigh myself at home throughout the week for a boost.
My friend has done fabulously this week. Mind you, she has a husband who has done all of the cooking for the children etc... and she has locked herself in the bedroom and watched tv at mealtimes!
Great way of doing it but , not available as an option for me!

Not jealous though ....yeah right!!!!!!!!!
xxK

[mrspoppins]

START WEIGHT............... 21st 1lb
WEEK ONE .....................20st 2 3/4 lb

loss= 12 1/4 lb

[DelGirl]

wow thats fantastic, well done, it must feel great. Keep it up

[mrspoppins]

Thank you....feel a little guilty as I didn't really stick to it that much so will try 100% this week.

Friend also lost 14lbs!!

We know that a lot of that is water weight but as we drink 2-3litres a day...we're putting a lot back in too!!

xxK

[catsmother]

Blimey - 12.25 pounds ! ....... and that's with you saying you didn't stick to it that much.

Hopefully this great start will spur you on to remain more focussed this week.

Well done you !

[mrspoppins]

How you doing Catsmum? xx

[catsmother]

Not too badly ..... well, I haven't cheated, and TBH, haven't felt hungry, but have felt terribly bored by not being able to eat.

Maybe that says quite a lot about my eating habits !

Am looking forward to starting on the bars as of tomorrow, which'll be my 1st weigh in. I've tried to make the 'biscuit' and the 'muffin' but let's be honest, they're really not like any biscuits or muffins I've ever eaten.

I have noticed that my skin is breaking out in lots of small spots - maybe this is a side effect of effectively de-toxing perhaps ?

[mrspoppins]

"Not too badly...."if you've not cheated it at all then you are doing fabulously!!!

re spots..are you drinking plenty? otherwise could just be one of those things

let's know your weight now

fingers crossed

xxK

[catsmother]

First weigh-in today and I've lost 10lbs.

Not as good as you Mrs Poppins, but I think I started at around the 13 stone mark (one day, when I feel good about myself, will find out how much I weighed !)

I'm well happy with 10lbs.

[mrspoppins]

Oh wow...Good for you. That's great!

Having a useless week this week with too many commitments where I have to eat at meals out etc...so have decided to restart this Sunday coming

My friend, Tracey is doing amazingly well as she was so sceptical that she could cope but with a mass of support, she is doing really well.

Trying not to feel at having such a supportive husband who will take over all the difficult meal preparation. Mine is a teacher and so couldn't help anyhow as he works really long hours...boarding school... not sure that he'd help out anyhow as he sees overweightedness as a self inflicted issue that you should simply decide to sort out....like that...no nonsense....needless to say , he has never been overweight in his life!!!, so what does he know!!!
Keep it up...speak soon

xxK

[emily05]

Hi guys - just wanted to wish you luck with diet and say hi. I have been on cambridge since june and have lost nearly 8 stone. I am a stone from target.

It is a great diet and I would recommend it (in fact think of being a cambridge counsellor)

anyway good luck - I hope you are doing ok. x