I just can't continue on this diet any longer - advice please?

[millionpieces]

Do I just need a huge kick up the arse?

I have been doing the Cambridge Diet for almost 2 weeks now. Sole Source, so just 3 shakes/soups a day and 2 litres of water. I am 5 foot 4 and weigh 11 stone 11lbs.

I have stuck to it 100% and am doing well in terms of loss of weight/inches.

However, I do not feel all that well. I am constantly tired, feel washed out, a little bit spacey and light headed. My nails are peeling and I have intermittent headaches [ I never get headaches ]

So- what should I do? I am hoping that you'll tell me to stick with it and man up a bit! I need to lose one more stone or so - I was hoping that this would do it ASAP.

But then, I look at the other eating plans, such as SW or low carbing and am craving something to eat, like a stir fry or some roasted veg and goats cheese. But will that just be admitting defeat?

Help meeeee

Oh you poor thing! I would have killed and eaten my own dog by now on that sort of diet. Come on over to BIWI's Bootcamp. You get to eat real food - really delicious food - and it's much more sustainable. I'm 5'2" and I lost 8lbs in the first 12 days (and then splurged at a party and put 4 back on, grr). Starting weight 11 stone 5, as of yesterday 11 stone 0, and that's after 2 weeks in which I got to eat heaps.

I am living on less than 450 calories a day - but thousands do it?! Sigh!

Heh heh re the dog!

Re low carbing - I struggle a little as I am a non egg eating strict vegetarian. But I love reading the threads and think BIWI is ace.

Well done on your loss!

Personal opinion is not what you want to hear: you are maaaaaad to think you can subsist on 3 shakes and some water. You will be far more successful in the long term if you learn to eat sensibly and healthily and to meet your body's needs. You should aim to lose 1-2lbs per week (assume you're achieving much more than this).
At the outset it might feel like a massive challenge (eg if you're thinking you want to lose 2 stones and it may therefore take 6 months) BUT if you do it that way your body learns to love smaller portions, to not crave sugar/junk and you are able to keep it off long term.

Really seriously - think about the long term! (and good luck!)

I had great success on myfitnesspal.com

Rooble - Oh I know! I keep telling myself that this is the way to go - after all, it is the quick fix isn't it? I could be at target in 3 or 4 weeks! I'm not aiming for some mad target, 10.7 will be just fine and makes me a size 10/12.

I am hungry though and feel weird.

Short term fixes aren't a healthy or permanent way to lose weight. It's little wonder that you're craving something to eat when all you have is processed soups and shakes, and frankly on 450 calories a day you are fucking up your metabolism for good (take it from someone who has done that to themselves). Please come off this diet! As for thousands of people doing it - thousands (millions) of people smoke, and that can keep their weight down, but its certainly not healthy.

It's not that hard to lose a stone by counting calories and controlling portions, and it's even easier with some exercise thrown in. If you start to understand what is in your food you'll be more successful at staying at a stable weight afterwards too. Both Slimming World and WeightWatchers seem to be good for this, but if you want to go solo why not try My Fitness Pal. You log everything you're eating and thus can keep an eye on your intake, and your eating patterns. You also get credit for exercise.

One of the easiest ways I have found to shrink is to control my portion sizes. When I was larger I was eating probably half as much again as I needed at each meal. I bought a small set of digital kitchen scales and they sit on my side and I weigh everything I cook with, mostly following recipes from BBC Good Food which give nutritional breakdowns.

Oh, if you're a non-egg eating veggie then I can see that low-carb may not be the thing for you. I did see a thread about veggie low-carbing a little while ago but I suspect that eggs featured heavily.

Oh bollocks. I was hoping you'd all tell me to stick with it

I keep thinking about eating proper porridge with berries, stir fries with tofu and feta cheese. Almost craving this stuff! As opposed to my usual cake craving - which is weird.

Does it really fuck your metabolism? Even if you just do it for a short time?

I had a similar experience on cambridge a few years back. Not only did I struggle to shift the weight and had to face a weekly grilling about was else I must be sneaking in I also looked and felt awful.

fast forward to now and I have lost a lot of weight on slim and save and felt great. I am now low carbing. It is possible to low carb as a veggie - check out the Rose Elliott thread :)

if you do decide to stick with the shakes how about adding in a bit of veg and protein (some tofu?)

Yes it does! And you're likely to gain a chunk of the weight you've lost when you start eating properly again.

All of the food you are craving would be perfect for a weightloss programme - you could certainly eat food like that and lose weight.

You know that shakes aren't the answer, particularly if they're making you feel and look terrible. You can't possibly be getting all the nutrients you need from them, which means you're likely to be losing muscle as well as fat. If you do lose muscle you won't have as much metabolically active tissue, which will make it easier to gain weight in the future. Please stop!

Gah! That cannot be good for your body on so many levels. And completely unsustainable so when you go back to eating normally you'll just put it all back on again as your body has been in starvation mode.

Low carbing will be hard for you but maybe just try cutting down on the bad, white processed carbs? I've cut out bread and eating wholemeal pasta and rice (no carbs after 4pm) and seems to be doing the trick.

they say that all your nutrients are totally covered... however... i am no feeling that this is the case!

thanks swatch

there are vegan options in the Rose Elliott book so no eggs shouldn't be a problem.

I am becoming a firm believer in listening to what you body is asking for food wise (excluding chocolate and booze etc ) so if its stir frys and veg you are craving don't dismiss it

I am really struggling not to be negative but pleeeeeeese stop eating that shit.

You poor thing. It's not healthy for your body or mind. Even if you lose weight, the second you stop you will pile the weight back on and be bigger thsn before you started.

I am losing weight. Low carb, workout twice a week. I feel bloody fantastic.

Go to biwis thread. And eat something.

sorry I have to completely disagree with the negative attitude to vlcd's. It is not shit and it is complete rubbish to say you will pile all the weight back on the minute you stop!

you can say that about any diet plan. How do you think SW and WW make their money? Yoyo dieters.

the key to maintaining any weightloss (by whichever method you use) is surely rethinking your overall attitude to food and understanding why and how you gain weight.

You poor thing, feeling is unwell is not good. I would ditch the diet. What's the rush to lose weight?
I low carbed last year and lost between 1 and 2.5 pounds a week for 8 months. Whatever diet you do drink lots as it really does help the headaches.
Good luck.

million pieces - I totally understand why you are doing Cambridge having done it for 5 weeks myself earlier this year.

Have you tested to see if you are in Ketosis yet? If not that may be the problem.

If you really want to stick with it sign up to teh Cambridge website and get yourself on the chat boards - they really kept me going when I wanted to give up. Another option is to phone your consultant and have a chat - they can advise you of the best way forward or give you some motivation to keep going.

You could always go onto solesource plus. Your weight loss will slow down in my experience but at least you will feel like you are eating something and if you have the stuff to make the shakes into a angel delight you even get a pudding with your dinner!

Your bmi is about 28 - I think they recommend you go onto ss+ at a bmi of 25 anyway.

I sympathise with how hard it is and to be honest if you really want to stick with it I suggest writing today off and going to bed as early as you possibly can - either that or go and do something to keep yourself busy until this feeling has passed. Those were my tactics!

oh and you mentioned porridge earlier - cambridge do have a porridge as one of their packet options!!!!!! Ask you consultant!

On ss+ I used to have:-
porridge
soup
chicken salad and then a cambridge shake made into angel delight

almost like normal food

If you want some recipes that will fill you up and be sufficiently nutritious and be diet friendly I'd be happy to send some to you!

Out of interest, how much does is cost to do this? You can lose weight safely for nothing!

yes please swatch! It costs £41 a week - expensive, yes but within my budget in the main.

sweetheart - I detest the porridge- especially the maple one. It is nothing like any porridge I normally eat! I also mix the shakes with minimum water to make an Angel Delight type thing - it's OK. Yes, I am in Ketosis.

The main issue is just how unwell I feel - all floaty and just under the weather. Anyway, I have decided to have a meal tonight - so I have had 2 shakes and have just eaten the following ...

2 wholemeal pittas, split and filled with roasted quorn fillets, red and orange pepper strips, baby asparagus, mushrooms and a smearing of roasted pepper light philadelphia. Came in at around 500 calories - and you know what? Within about 5 minutes I felt a whole lot better!

Just have to deal with the guilt now! Which is just utterly ridiculous. I wonder if these type of diets make you view food as something 'bad'... I certainly feel 'bad' for just eating what is obviously a very healthy meal..

Yes, my BMI is 28. I am aiming for a weight of around 10 st 7/ 10 st 11 ish... so not exactly the hugest mountain. It's all relative though isn't it?