Help Needed For Cambridge Diet - Totally Lost!!

[loobyloo85]

Hi
I have plucked up the courage to finally do something about my weight gain and i have decided to embark on the cambridge diet. i rung my councillor and it seems as though she really couldnt be bothered explaining it to me - she wanted to give me the products and take my cash and leave ! Please can anybody give me any information on how this diet works, what i will feel like on it ( ive got a young daughter and dont want to lose all my energy) and also how much weight am i approx going to lose each week!
If any body could help me i would be very grateful
Thanks
Lou

[leehal]

Is there another CDC near you ?

Try the Cambridge Diet website, they have all the brochures etc you are handed when you meet a CDC face to face.

Also try the stickies on the forum.

[loobyloo85]

thanks for your reply.
i have contacted a few but they will only sell me the products on a monthly basis is this normal?

dont want to sound dumb but what are stickies?

[MadamDotty]

Hi Looby

Your CDC really must explain the diet properly to you, she/he should be there to support, advise, encourage & motivate you, not just take your money and run - that goes against the CDC Code of Conduct which all CDC's have to sign. They should see you weekly unless you want to be seen less often, but no more than 4 weeks apart. Give Cambridge a ring or use the "find a counsellor" link on their website to find someone in your area who will help you and give you the support you need. Explain to your CDC that you expected more help and advise from her/him and if you don't get that I would complain to Cambridge as they are not giving you the service they should do.

If you go to the Cambridge Diet section in Minimins at the top of all the posts are what are called "Stickies" which are posts that stay at the top of the forum for everyone to read as they have a lot of useful information on them. See if any of those help as well.

If after all of this you're still stuck, please pm me & I'll give you my phone no and will happily go through the plans in detail with you.

xx

[emma simmonds]

on cambridge you will find it really hard for the first few days. the possible side effects include; constipation or diorrea!! neither of which have happened to me. you will feel a bit tired in the first week but just drink plenty of water, not 2 much though! and you will be fine.

you are supposed to loose a stone a month so about 3 pounds a week, in the first 2 weeks you will probably loose more. also some weeks your pounds will not have decreased much but your inches will so make sure you measure yourself to keep yourself motivated.

[loobyloo85]

Brilliant thank you for your advice - think i will look for a new CDC.

Exactly what is drinking too much water? Should i be drinking about 3 litres a day?

[Mini]

Hi
I have plucked up the courage to finally do something about my weight gain and i have decided to embark on the cambridge diet. i rung my councillor and it seems as though she really couldnt be bothered explaining it to me - she wanted to give me the products and take my cash and leave ! Please can anybody give me any information on how this diet works, what i will feel like on it ( ive got a young daughter and dont want to lose all my energy) and also how much weight am i approx going to lose each week!
If any body could help me i would be very grateful
Thanks
Lou

Hi Lou,

Cambridge Diet, Lipotrim and Lighter Life which are the popular onces on this site uses a complete total food replacement formula which is designed to safely maximise the calorie gap which is basically the difference between the calories you use and the calories you eat.

It provides appropriate amount of all the essential nutrients your body needs each day in a minimum number of calories.

The average person uses up about 2000 calories energy each day so the difference between energy used up and energy eaten means that the body's reserve of stores of sugar and far are drawn on to meet the body's need.

In this way your body weight is lost.

Your not actually living on reduced calories, you are only changing the place the calories come from.

The body, when not dieting, uses mostly sugar for energy rather than fat. The sugar content of the diet is kept deliberately low so that the body's own sugar stores get used up quickly.

Fat then becomes the source of energy.

As the fat is burned rapidly, the body produces substances from the fat called ketones and the person is said to be in ketosis.


This is a mild dietary ketosis and not to be confused with the one diabetics get.

The major benefit of ketosis is that when it sets in normally around the third or fourth day...it gives the feeling of well-being and hunger is greatly reduced which make doing the diet more comfortable.

Because the formula has been scientifically worked out in terms of carbohydrate in order to maintain ketosis it is essential that you do not drink anything else apart from your daily servings of formula and the approved drinks like black tea and coffee and water. The smallest nibble of apple, raw veggies or milk in tea can be enought ot bring you out of ketosis.

You must drink at least four pints of water a day along with the water recommended to mix your milkshakes. This is because we must replace the water we would normally get from eating, as foods are made up of large amounts of water...so unless you purposefully drink it, you will not be getting enough and it is an essential part of this diet for comfort and health.

The guidelines for weight loss work out around a stone a month for women and for a man this is about a stone and a half but everyone is so different how they lose weight and this can vary up as well as down.

Cambridge Diet have different weight loss programmes so you have a choice of ones to chose from and a good counsellor will talk you through and help you decide the one is most suited to your needs.

If your body mass index is over 30 you have to get a note from your doctor to do Sole Sourcing which is just the liquid milkshakes and you are allowed bars after two weeks.

You can see if on the Cambridge web site if they have any other counsellor near you and if not I would think you should contact them directly as not all counsellors have their details on the site.

A good cousellor can make all the difference to how well you do.

Cambridge Diet find a counsellor




Lipotrim is available through Chemists and you can find the nearest one to you on this web site.

lipotrim web page


It has no add a meal week. You have total food replacement until you get to goal weight. The chemist weighs you each week and talks to you about how your getting on. You can get Video/CD to borrow which explains how the diet works and I would recommend getting it out as it is very good at explaining it.



Lighter Life

Is similar but comes with Cognitive Behaviour Therapy to help you discover the emotional problems you have with food and to help you over come them.

Web site LighterLife,Life in balance - Weight management programme


This is just an outline of what choices are and I hope I have not over loaded you with information

Love Mini xxx

[loobyloo85]

Thanks mini

The info has been really useful.
I am going to start the CD as i have already bought 4 weeks from my CDC. But i am going to find another counsellor.
i think this diet will really work. I am currently 15st 3 and want to be down to 10st 9 which is healthy for my height.
What are the first couple of days like? Are they really bad.
And just out of curiosity my auntie did LL and she had to drink 6 litres of water a day why is there such a big difference when they are very similar diets?

Cheers
Looby

[emma simmonds]

6 litres is far too much. we are advised to drink 2.5 litres a day on top of your packs. i tend to drink about 3 but i dont retain water for very long. went to the loo 15 times while at work yesterday!! it is up to your body how much you drink as too much could make you feel sick. also drinking exssesive amount can sometimes lead to water poisining, like what happened to that lea betts girl who drank too much on drugs. but you have to drink loads to do that!

i am currently in my second day and it is really difficult, simply feeling hungry and tired but that usually passes in the 3rd or 4th day when your body goes into ketosis. tif you are anything like me then you will crave the finer things in life like junk food!!! i find that most difficult when i am watching tv so i tend not to watch the adverts as they remind me that i am hungry.

Spread your packs out through the day evenly and top your self up with watwer and you will get through it. i am only a day ahead of you so if you need a chat then send me a message anytime.

bearing in mind that im only on the pc from 9.30 till 5!!

[KATHRYN]

I thought the rule was 'the more you drink, the more you shrink'?
I average 5-7 litres per day, some of my old LL group had 8-10!

[emma simmonds]

i have spoken to a couple of councellers about that and they say it is not true. like i say though i am only on my 2nd day so cant give any results at this stage!!

it is just that i read on someone elses thread about the water poisining thing it had a web link but i cant remember it now.

best thing to do is search it on the web and research how much water constitutes to water poisining, thats what i'll do anyway!!

[leehal]

I thought the rule was 'the more you drink, the more you shrink'?
I average 5-7 litres per day, some of my old LL group had 8-10!

Lots of differing opinion on this, I aim to drink 3 litres during the day at work and then at home when I feel hungry.

[kazbro]

i drink 3litres a day
i`m only short so that is enought for me
people who are taller can drink more just depends on the individual

[Mini]

Thanks mini

The info has been really useful.
I am going to start the CD as i have already bought 4 weeks from my CDC. But i am going to find another counsellor.
i think this diet will really work. I am currently 15st 3 and want to be down to 10st 9 which is healthy for my height.
What are the first couple of days like? Are they really bad.
And just out of curiosity my auntie did LL and she had to drink 6 litres of water a day why is there such a big difference when they are very similar diets?

Cheers
Looby

Hi Looby,

The "Minimum water intake a day is 4 pints plus the water used to mix your shakes"

This is the what is need in order for your kidneys to flush and your body to stay hydrated and it is not advised to go below that.


The level of water after that you wish to drink is what makes you feel comfortable.

Water should be drunk throughout the day and not in one go.

Too much water will upset the balance of salts and potassium in the body and can lead to water intoxication which is dangerous.

I am 5' 4" and I feel comfortable between 3 to 5 litres when sole sourcing, it depends on how active I am and how hot the day is. 5 litres would be the high end for me.

End Note: Water intoxication is a problem not only among athletes. For instance, it has become one of the most common causes of serious heat illness in the Grand Canyon. Some people hiking the canyon drink large amounts of water and do not eat enough food to provide for electrolyte (salt, potassium) replacement and energy. Fears of dehydration has led to a mistaken belief that the safe thing to do is to drink as much and as often as possible. But even with drinking water, there can be too much of a good thing.

You Can Drink Too Much Water

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Why is too much water dangerous?

[loobyloo85]

i was always under the assumption that the more you drunk the more weight you would lose.
i hadnt even heard of the water poisoning thing!!!
I will stick to between 3 & 5 i think!!
havent actually started diet yet!
Start tomorrow ( i know what a day to start on the weekend) but i figured if im going to do this properly then it doesnt really matter what day i start!!!!
just wanted to get a general feeling of how other members felt during their first few weeks!
i knw when i see the weight coming off that this will be the ideal motivation for me!