Thinking of trying CWP, have questions!

Trijian

Full Member
Hi all,

I'm starting to think about trying CWP as my attachment to Slimming World has all but run out now, just can't seem to get behind it anymore. Just wanted to ask a few questions really.

What is the realistic cost involved? I know the website says £44, but wanted to get 'real world' answers to this. I mentioned the cost to my OH who thinks it's just way too much, just wanted to see if there are any arguments I can make to him that would help my cause.

How hard is it to start? Do you feel hungry/sick/dizzy etc? If I were to start, I'd think it would be something I'd have to do while I have a bit of time off work, a week off or something, just to adjust to it.

How long does it take to see results? I was finding with SW, it was nice to get a week 1 big loss but after that you don't see/feel it as much, is it almost constant loss as long as you stick to plan 100%

Sorry if the questions seem silly or over-asked, just need to really know what I'll be getting into, and have all the answers to give to my OH before he asks the same questions!

Thanks :)
 
I am totally new to this, however like you I am a former Slimming World follower who just lost the spark with SW (and I did well on it too, so it wasn't a lack of results that did it) and have just started CWP today with my other half.

We did a lot of research beforehand however and cost was a massive part of that, because when you pay it all upfront every week (or every fortnight for us, so that was almost £180 gone in one night!) it seems like a hell of a lot.

However, when you take into account the £5 a week you pay to just be weighed at SW every week, fresh fruit and veg every week and if you were like we were, the incredible amount of diet fizzy drinks you get through in a week, £44.10 a week doesn't seem like a hell of a lot more. The products mix with water too, so you don't even have to buy milk! Maybe go through your bank statements or online banking and make a note of EVERYTHING you spend on food in any given week.

The other thing we figured is that when you are shelling out the cost of your products up front, it's more of an incentive to stick to the CWP religiously - because of the absolute waste of money it would be if you didn't!

To get more tailored ideas of cost, e-mail a local consultant - just get some advice, give them your height, weight, BMI and they'll be able to figure out what step you'd be on and how much this would cost you. Just ask all the questions you have before you commit, so when your OH has questions, you're armed with the answers!

Having only just started today, I'm not going to be good at answering the rest of your questions apart from what I've seen on here - the results, much like SW, appear to be a big loss in the first week, but constant (and IMO bigger losses than SW) in the following weeks so long as you stick to it. I can try and update you more on that when I have my first weigh-in in a fortnight, but the forums are a great place to get some idea of what the journey is like in terms of losses.

In the first week or so, you may see symptoms of what is lovingly referred to as "keto flu" because that is what it feels like - it only lasts a few days and the effects can be alleviated with LOTS of water and painkillers. It effects people in different ways - if you're like my SO, you'll barely feel anything - if you're like me, you'll feel like you were hit by a bus. All I can say is that it does pass and it's worth it when it does, because you feel a million times better than you did before. Whether you can handle it at work, I imagine depends on your job - if you're in an office like me, you could probably deal with just feeling like crap at your desk - if it's a bit more heavy handed, you may well feel the need to take a day or two off when the symptoms hit you. If I'm honest, being at work helps me personally keep my mind off the fact I'm not eating much / anything in the way of "real" food and home might bring one temptation too many!

My advice would be get in contact with a consultant either by text or e-mail and ask them any other questions you might have. Believe me, they won't mind giving you all the reassurance you need - because it's not in their interest to put you on a diet that isn't going to work for you :)

Hope this helps a little bit x

 
So am I right in thinking there's no membership fees or weigh in fees like there would be with Slimming World?

My argument so far has consisted of: I'm spending £4-5 a day, 5 days a week at work in the staff canteen, then eating at home after work too. When you consider the £5 a week for SW as well, I don't think I'm that far out of pocket with it, I think it's just the initial 'shock' of spending £40 a week upfront. My OH can easily spend £5 every few days on chocolate/biscuits etc, he's not affected by weight at all. At least I know if I spent the £40ish, I'm not buying any other food with that also. Gives me something to think about anyway.

Think I will email a few consultants in the area, there's somewhere fairly local that does a drop-in also, might investigate that as well.

Thanks for all the pointers though!
 
So am I right in thinking there's no membership fees or weigh in fees like there would be with Slimming World?

My argument so far has consisted of: I'm spending £4-5 a day, 5 days a week at work in the staff canteen, then eating at home after work too. When you consider the £5 a week for SW as well, I don't think I'm that far out of pocket with it, I think it's just the initial 'shock' of spending £40 a week upfront. My OH can easily spend £5 every few days on chocolate/biscuits etc, he's not affected by weight at all. At least I know if I spent the £40ish, I'm not buying any other food with that also. Gives me something to think about anyway.

Think I will email a few consultants in the area, there's somewhere fairly local that does a drop-in also, might investigate that as well.

Thanks for all the pointers though!


If you buy your lunch everyday, that's at least half the cost of Cambridge there alone. Not even hitting what you go out to the shops and buy (and your SW membership & the hi-fi bars you'll inevitably buy to snaffle!) so you would probably end up saving money if you're strict.

There aren't any joining fees, no contract that you have to sign up to and at least with my consultant, no extra charge for coming out to see you (ours comes to our place instead of us going to them - it suits us better). Double check the last point though as I think some consultants may charge you extra for the stuff to cover their travelling costs!

I hope you find all the answers you're looking for though! Good luck! x
 
I started Cambridge this week, now on day 3. So far so good, much easier than I thought it was going to be if I'm honest. I have been tempted a couple of times but not enough to delve into the biscuit barrel. Some people seem to suffer more than others with the whole withdrawal thing, for me it's not been to bad, I just make sure that I drink plenty and that seems to help. I have around 5 stone to lose in total, not sure if I'm planing on doing all of that using Cambridge, as you say it's expensive and I do miss the food but the results far out way the negatives. Speaking to others on here is a huge boost, some of the weight losses are amazing and far greater than you'd see following a normal plan. I recently did weight watchers but to lose 1-2 lb a week when you've got 5 stone to shift for me was soul destroying. I needed something that I knew would give me the results. If it's the cost putting you off, remember that's the entire cost of your weeks food (if your doing sole source) and I see it as an investment. I'd rather spend the money and do this for a short time than spend more in the long run with a slimming club yo-yo-ing up and down. X
 
Still going through the thought process with it, but reached a deal with the OH, I'll do it for a month and have to prove I can stick to it and lose on it, after that see what he says. He knows I'm a bit flaky and non-committal with things, so it's fair enough. Can't afford to do it just yet though, insurance for both of us is up next month, so may be June or so before I can afford it.
 
I pay £62.30 per week, that's for 4 products per day, 1 bar, 1 tetra shake, and 2 soups. Thing is, I am spending less on food, cause I don't go out etc... I really think it's quite reasonable. I wish I was only paying £40 per week!
 
The cost is an issue and I do find it expensive but I keep telling myself that I've spent a whole lot more getting me to this size!! x
 
Because I didn't spend any money on food for myself this week, I've noticed exactly how much food stuff I actually must waste, ie half eaten stuff that gets thrown away, things out of date etc. and the food I have bought this week has lasted for ages. I must have been eating loads of it without even realising! X
 
Depends how active a social life you have. I saved a fortune on taxi fares alone by being able to drive when we went out on a night.
 
My advice would be to have a look at the before and after photos on this website. They are so inspirational!
 
Cambridge is amazing. You'll be saving loads of cash on take aways, regular food, impulse buys and going out to restaurants etc. it's EASY if you stick to it and you WILL lose loads of weight in no time if you stick to plan. Really, you shouldn't see the cost as a reason to not do it.

The only additional costs are all the sparkling water and fruit teas etc if that's what you're into.

You will succeed if you get your head down and get on with it! My almost 6 week journey has so far gone so quickly and I'm almost 20lb lighter. I just wish I had started sooner!!

Go for it!!!

X
 
As far as I understand it you have to be at least a stone over a healthy BMI number to be on SS.

The maximum you can be on it is 12 weeks - there is a minimum, but I'm not sure what that is (either one or two weeks) but it's all based on your starting weight and your progress. Your Consultant will probably suggest that you switch to Step 2 when you start getting closer to your goal weight, so you may not do the full 12 weeks.

I guess the real answer is there isn't a normal - it's tailored to you and the weight you lose :)
 
I would say it depends how quickly you want to see results. If your happy to do things slower then maybe Cambridge isn't for you. Yes, there's the cost and also the commitment but to be honest you've got those whichever plan you decide to follow.
For me personally, I want to see results, I want to see a change. I've got 5 stone in total yet I've done 11lb in the first week. THATS why I am an advocate of this diet.
I'd rather spend the money and just get this done! Good luck with whatever you decide. X
 
Hi Trijian, sorry to hear you've split from your partner, hope you're coping ok. I just wanted to say that I think it's worth giving the plan a go. I started off sceptical, and did a lot of research, then took the plunge. I find it has saved me a fortune as I no longer buy food to treat myself. I have also had some good losses so far, no pain going in to ketosis, and to date no difficulties sticking to plan. And I am all about instant gratification! Good luck, however you choose to go.
 
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