I am starting the Cambridge diet tomorrow...

[blankpieceofpaper]

It has come to this - I need to be serious about this or nothing.

Anyway, I swear there are threads but I have searched and can't seem to find an ongoing one! Anyone know of one? Thank you.

[Allice]

I don't think there is a current one.
Just wanted to say hello, I've done the Cambridge diet but changed to exante as its cheaper, has more products and my consultant want very rigid about when she could see me which didn't really work for me.
I've been on it about 14 weeks, odd time off for holidays and I've just had a week off after moving house and loosing the plot. I've lost about 2.5 stone.

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Hi I started exante today, I offically started a couple of weeks ago but one little slip turned into a landslide! This time I am serious and have learnt my lesson, I can't handle little cheats it makes me fall off the wagon.

Hoping to lose 2.5st by start of Dec - then I will switch to intermittent fasting over Dec, then back to exante for Jan/feb until I get to 10st.

How are you finding it so far? What's your goal?

[blankpieceofpaper]

I have never heard of exante - this is interesting. Thank you for the information. How much cheaper is it? Do you feel properly full?

I am the same - about 2/3 stone to lose! I don't want to have the January guilt this time!

[Allice]

They say that you can loose a stone a month but really depends on your start weight. I don't really feel hungry, not often at least, first 3 days are tough but I'm ok normally now.

[SoleBizzz]

I do step 3 cambridge. It's fabulous. I'm weaned off sugar and proceed food. AT LAST. Lost 14lb in three weeks

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

I think all the vlcds are pretty much the same. I did Cambridge for my wedding 6 yrs ago. You aren't full just not hungry but the mental battle is the hard bit. At times I wasnt bothered by food in the slightest other times every cell in my body was screaming for me to eat something.

I generally lost 1.5st in the first month and 1st a month after that. For me I want to buy a nice outfit for Xmas and not be stood in the changing room in tears as all the stuff in my size is tent like!

[SoleBizzz]

I have food on step 3. Six steps in total.

[Anicechocolatecake]

I am one of the many people who did this and ended up with a binge eating disorder. I gained about 4 stone after coming off it and it absolutely destroyed life for a very long while

It's up to you to do it but i'd say first of all please humour me and research the Whole 30. You can still get very drastic weight loss results but you're eating real food and learning healthy habits too. It gets you back into feeling full and hungry and it's safe. The Whole 30 is a million times better than a vlcd. If I could go back to myself pre the Cambridge diet I would say DON'T DO IT. There are many others out there saying the same thing.

[jessica29054]

Subbing :)

[PoptartPoptart]

Also look at 'Shake that Weight' and 'Slim and Save' websites. They are cheaper and have some nice products.

[blankpieceofpaper]

Thank you for the advice and suggestions everyone. I have started Cambridge for now because I just wanted to get started and I had already booked the appointment. My colleague is already doing it so we can support each other.

I am on step 2 solebizz - step 3 sounded good too. I am going to try it for at least a month to see how it goes.

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Good luck blank. I have lost the weight I put on whilst off the diet, so I am back to 14.3st from a starting weight of nearly 15st 😮.

I am feeling good and at peace with the diet, even though I seem to spend my life cooking or thinking about cooking for the family.

I went Xmas shopping today and saw some lovely dresses that I would love to wear so that helped keep me motivated.

Good luck - off to drink another glass of water!

[blankpieceofpaper]

Ah yes, water! I have been glugging it back today! Well done on getting near 14 stone down from 15! I am 14.2 so we are virtually in the same place.

We can mutually support if you like!

I have just had a cappucino shake which I quite liked (blended it properly) and I will have a soup tomorrow. You're right - dresses are a big motivation - especially all the ones in my wardrobe I can't currently wear.

[flippyflapper]

I have done Cambridge diet about 3 times, I was desperate and needed to shift the weight.

I did so well and lost it all felt amazing and all the compliments were great. I went up the steps but as I started trying to get back to normal and making healthy choices the weight literally piled back on.

So again I started thinking I won't pile it back on was at goal and again started introducing healthy meals to eat with the family and again it piled back on, so off on the 3rd attempt and I was ill constantly went to the doctors who ran blood tests he was shocked at my levels my vitamins were so low my iron was so low and my blood pressure was so low.
I was poorly for a good few months until all the vitamins and iron all kicked in.
So thinking maybe it was just me being run down nothing to do with the diet I tried again and ended up fainting and again being ill.

All in all I ended up bigger and ill

Had someone told me this before I started I would not of listened so I completely understand this being swept over but please just be careful as a what I went through seams to be easy compared to other who has eating disorders and gall bladder problems now.i wish you the best of luck in your slimming journey

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Flippy- this is my 3rd attempt at doing this as well. First time I stopped smoking after I got to goal and seriously damaged my back. I quickly put the weight back on due to medications, inactivity and boredom eating. Then to lose the stopping smoking weight I did Cambridge before my wedding, then found out I was pregnant and put a lot of the weight back on.

Since then I have had another baby and developed gestational diabetes. This time I am doing it as my risk of proper diabetes is so much greater and I want to reduce my risk.

I am really interested in why you piled the weight back on - if you don't mind.

I never followed the steps or food reintroduction properly. I ate way too many processed carbs and I never gained muscle mass and got fitter.
This time I plan on losing the weight in 2 phases. One 8 week shake only phase. Then I will follow a low cal but proper food diet with very limited carbs for a period of 8 weeks. Phase 2 will be another 8 weeks on shakes

Then I will follow a 3:4 fasting regime based on low carb med diet until I am at goal. At this point I will reintroduce some weight training to build muscle and boost my metabolism.

I think most people who lose weight put it all back on. I am trying to use this as a way of changing my eating habits. I have read a lot on our intermittent fasting and I will see use that for maintenance and I want this to be a kick start for a new way of eating. I am a carb addict and need to cut them out or I will never be slim.

[SpookyPotato]

I lost loads of weight on this, very quickly too.. it was hard but great! Then I started eating crap again because inside I'll always be a binge eater, and that diet made junk food so tempting. Just one low emotional moment led to me piling it all back on very quickly, and some extra! I was the biggest I'd ever been. I don't know hardly anyone who has kept weight off on these diets. But it IS possible. You just have to have an iron will and not get sucked in by the junk food again. Introduce healthy food slowly. The great thing I loved about the plan was knowing that when I stuck to it, I knew for definite I would lose a lot of weight and that's a reassuring, motivating feeling.

I'm back to just eating a fresh, healthy diet and it's coming off slower but I feel more in control. I do think these replacement diets are good for quick weight loss for an event or to give a head start but not longterm.

[ReginaBlitz]

It's easy when you get into it but I wouldn't recommend it. Your hair falls out for a year afterwards, you might loose weight but you also lose your looks as you lose it that quick your face goes gaunt and old looking. Plus you also lose muscle. You will be on and off this diet for life as the weight soon piles back on at double the rate as it messes with your metabolism.

honestly unless you are over 20 stone I wouldn't bother just do it sensibly. It's a fad and 80 percent of people on the diet are returnees what does that tell you?

[Okimamma]

Mother of all constipations!

[TiffanyAtBreakfast]

I'm starting exante today too! Have a lot to lose but short term goal is 2st by Christmas. The final straw was being invited to a themed fancy dress party and not being able to find a single costume in my size unless I ordered from some bizarre Hong Kong online store.

I'm a size 26 and I am so so sick of typing the words 'plus size' into google and only having about two high street shop options! No more! puts on game face

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Good luck tiffany, you could lose 3st plus by Xmas easy. I find the weekends hard so I had a steak with broccoli for dinner, it felt like a total treat but kept me in ketosis. I am just focusing on the next 8 weeks as looking at a 5st in total weight loss is too daunting. I have been making a conscious effort to walk a couple of miles everyday and I should hopefully ingrain that as a good healthy habit going forwards.

I am only using this as a kick start, it's too hard to do it long-term. My knees kill so I am hoping to lose some of the chubba this will help me get back into exercise again. I was very for - for me at the start of the year and I miss that feeling.

Good luck, drink tonnes of water.

[TiffanyAtBreakfast]

Thanks princessconsuela! Good luck to you too!! My knees have also been hurting, especially since having my DS. Need to get myself a good water bottle to sip at all day!

[blankpieceofpaper]

I think I might get this thread moved to the weight loss boards so it can help me with motivation.

Thank you so much for all the feedback everyone - realistic and it does give me a lot to think about, which I will do.

The thing I needed to do though - was control my binge eating. I need to have this control and structure for now where I just have the thing in front of me. I have had a sneaky weigh of myself and I am already below 14 stone. That is huge for me as I have been hovering just over it and binge eating myself into misery.

Long term I will go back onto the 5 2 diet, but right now I need the rigid control. I am still considering this a trial month. Being able to eat some actual food in the day is very helpful as it makes me really appreciate proteins, vegetable and portion control etc.

[blankpieceofpaper]

Sorry, to clarify yes this is a kickstart as I have been trying to compel myself to lose a stone for over a year. Long term I will not be using this and I need it as part of a hard lesson to myself about my relationship with food.

[Katedotness1963]

I've done the Cambridge diet three times. Each time I put the weight back on, and more. I wish I'd never done it the first time.

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Well done blank - that's great news. I lost a chunk with lchf boot camp and it's great for maintaining my weight but I just wasn't losing anymore. I lost 1.5st of baby weight but then kept gaining and losing the same half a stone. I will combine that with 5.2 or 4.3 for the long-term when I get to goal.

My first Cambridge councillor said how she maintained was by never keeping bread in the house and I thought that was a bit weird at the time but I totally get it now. Processed carbs make me gain weight and binge then I get on a vicious cycle.

If I never ate bread I would be a side 10 I am sure. I would easily base 2 meals a day around it and everything you put on it is fatty or Sugary. It is not unknown for me to have eaten the best part of a cheap white loaf in a day 😮. Low carb stops me bingeing.

I know this is the easy bit and keeping the weight off and not doing what I did before is the key. I am really looking forwards to eating meat and green veg again.

Good luck everyone and thanks for sharing your stories.