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Home 
Diets
Calorie Counting
How Does
Cambridge Diet Compare?
BACKGROUND
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PRO
CON
DIET and NUTRITION
EXERCISE
CONCLUSION
Common Misspellings
Whats better than
Cambridge Diet?
Diets
Calorie Counting
Cambridge Diet Review (UPDATED 2024): Don't Buy Before You Read This!
A liquid diet that may be too calorie restrictive for long-term success.
Top Rated Diets of 2024What is it?
The Cambridge Diet is a weight loss program offering pre-packed meals, counseling, and low calorie meal suggestions. It’s considered a VLCD, which means it’s a very low calorie diet.
One can select between 415 to 1500 calories depending on one’s weight loss goals, gender, and tolerance. Consultants are offered not just to guide, but to recommend what calorie limit one should follow. There have been numerous diets observed by our experts, and the highest rated one has been the 18Shake Diet. It offers a diet pill and meal replacement shakes that aim to reduce appetite for hours, all while providing fat burning effects with its all natural ingredients. More information about the 18Shake Diet can be seen in the link here.
Do You Know the Best Diets of 2024?
Cambridge DietIngredients and Side Effects
Here are some noteworthy ingredients added to their prepackaged foods:
|
Skimmed Milk Powder |
Maltodextrin |
Guar Gum |
Refined Fractionated Palm Oil |
Acesulfame K |
|
Sucralose |
Carrageenan |
Flavourings |
Dried Glucose Syrup |
Silicon Dioxide |
|
Oligofructose |
|
|||
Guar Gum:Fiber extract taken from the guar plant. It’s used as a general thickener in processed foods, as well as a laxative. It can promote side effects that include:
• Diarrhea, gas, and loose stools.
• Indigestion, nausea, and stomach pains.
Acesulfame K: Artificial sweetener around 200 times sweeter than standard sugar. A study by PLOS One found that:
“Long-Term Artificial Sweetener Acesulfame Potassium Alters Neurometabolic Functions”
This study showed that in mice there was an effect on insulin and leptin levels. The same study added:
“chronic use… could affect cognitive functions, potentially via altering neuro-metabolic functions”
It also has shown the potential for other side effects according to a review by the Oxford Journals:
“long-dated function on the adult’s sweet preference”
This study was conducted on mice that were given their mother’s breast milk or amniotic fluid in birth, and their preference for sweets changed.
Sucralose: Artificialsweetener that can be around 1,000 times much sweeter than sugar. It has been used controversially since some studies have shown it to be potentially dangerous. One such study was performed by Duke University and it revealed:
“numerous adverse effects”
“reduction in beneficial fecal microflora, increased fecal pH, and enhancedexpression levels of P-gp”
This means the body considers it a toxin, and it reduces healthy bacteria which helps support the immune system according to this clinical study.
Carrageenan: Thickener and binder extractedfrom red seaweed.The University of Iowa ran a study which showed:
“carcinogenic properties of degraded carrageenan”
“ulcerations and neoplasms in association with exposure to carrageenan”
This has shown the possibility for causing serious issues in the body.
The link provided here has the top 10 ranked diets of the year.
The types of foods offered by the Cambridge Diet are meal replacement shakes, bars, pasta, rice, soups, desserts, and other snacks. According to the official website:
“products contain the vitamins and minerals you need for balanced nutrition and healthy weight loss”
Most of what one eats will be the prepackaged foods. This can make it easier to handle a caloric loss, as the foods are specially formulated to be lower in calories. There are also 6 steps outlined one must follow, though where one begins depends on what the counselor advises. Here are the steps:
• Sole Source: 3 to 4 prepackaged foods are eaten a day. The Sole Source Plus option allows for 3 prepacked goods alongside meal of 200 calories, or 4 of the companies meals with 200 ml of skimmed milk.
• 2nd Stage: Protein rich meals are added as well as some skimmed milk and vegetables alongside up o Cambridge meals. It’s typically limited to 810 calories a day for a week long period.
• 3rd Stage: 2 of the meals, some milk, and a 1,000 calorie a day limit. This is enforced for 2 weeks.
• 4th Stage: 2 prepackaged meals, some skimmed milk, and more regular meals.
• 5th Stage: One Cambridge meal and breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner for a total of 1500 calories.
• 6th Stage: Once your heathy weight is reached, this stage helps maintain results. One prepackaged meal a day is recommended alongside continued support from a consultant.
It’s unclear whether or not the consultants have any background in diet and nutrition. It’s unlikely however that they use real certified dieticians, which can be potentially dangerous or lead to wrong advice. Our experts have analyzed many diets and have ranked the top 10 in the list here.
EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this diet with a proven meal replacement such as 18 Shake for better results.
Cambridge Diet Quality of Ingredients
Since the beginning of the program asks for a majority of foods to be selected from the company’s prepackaged foods, it’s important for the ingredients to be wholesome.
Unfortunately, they use artificial sweeteners and cheap thickeners often used to replace fiber. These kinds of additives can actually make weight loss harder, as studies have shown they may cause metabolism disorders as well as other side effects.
It’s also difficult to understand what kind of help is provided by the counselors, which remains to be seen whether or not they are actually certified to give health and nutrition advice. The link provided here has a list of the highest rated diets.
A review on the Cambridge Diet was performed by the British Dietetic Association, and they have listed possible side effects which include:
“bad breathe, a dry mouth, tiredness, dizziness, insomnia, nausea, and constipation”
They also advise for medical support when a person is to receive less than 600 calories, which some plans offered by the company suggest only 450 calories a day. It’s unclear if the counselors offer any support for this type of reduction in calories.
The Price and Quality of Cambridge Diet
The price depends more on how often once decides to use the prepackaged meals. The official website states it will cost per week 48.30 pounds, which rounds to a weekly price of $63.46. Since this is a UK based plan, no consultations are available outside the US. In fact, on the official site there is a map where support and availability is offered, and there are no listings for the US.
The quality of meals is poor, as the additives included are often found in processed foods. It can also be expensive to have to keep using the company’s foods, as the final stage of maintenance requires one pre-packaged meal a day.
Business of Cambridge Diet
The contact information for the diet is as follows:
Phone Number: (44)(0) 1536 403344
Address:Stafford House, 10 Brakey Road
Corby, Northants, NN17 5LU
Email: [email protected]
The official website lists how to become a paid consultant for the company. Nowhere in the job skills is there any notice for people to have a background in health and nutrition. The company only asks for people with a background in sales who are organized and can plan ahead.
This means that it’s likely the people who are meant to give support have no skills in helping people with weight loss. The link cited here has the top 10 ranked diets.
EDITOR’S TIP: The top 10 list of the best diets is available here.
Customer Opinions of Cambridge Diet
Here are some direct quotes from user reviews:
“not the best diet health wise… nails went brittle thin, hair began to thin rapidly”
“never felt full, I always felt hungry”
“Having a bad time with motivation”
“the first few days are the hardest”
Though there were some weight loss results for people, there were also issues due to a lack of calories. Many felt weakened, less energetic, and much more fatigued than usual.
Some also had symptoms that are clear signs of nutrient deficiencies such as brittle and weak nails, thin hair, and increased stress. This was often the case for people who attempted this diet.
The top 10 ranked diet plans can be seeninthe link provided here.
Conclusion - Does Cambridge DietWork?
The Cambridge Diet is similar to other diet plans which offer pre-packaged foods. There’s also counseling offered, but it’s clear that the support is from people who are more business people rather than nutrition experts. Many of the foods offered have processed ingredients, though they are low in calories. Reviews have been mixed with some experiencing health issues and hunger. Though a low calorie plan like this can work, any reduction in calories can result in weight loss. There’s nothing special added to the prepackaged foods which isn’t found in a standard processed meal.
Our experts have performed many reviews and have discovered that the most effective diet is the 18Shake Diet. It provides a combination of a meal replacement and a diet pill. They both provide only natural ingredients, no stimulants, and no unwanted artificial or additives. Its effects include appetite suppression, increased fat burning, and more. When used together it enhances weight loss at a faster rate. Customers have also left positive testimonials on the official website.
The 18Shake Diet is also supported by a full 30 day money back guarantee. This allows for people to try this product risk free, and with no questions asked. More information about the specifics of the 18Shake Diet is available here.
- Product Name
- User Rating
- Easy to follow
- Cheap Price
- Fast Results
- High Protein Diet
- 91/100
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- Dukan Diet
- 89/100
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- Paleo Diet
- 87/100
-
- Plexus Slim
- 77/100
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- Cambridge Diet
- 35 /100
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BACKGROUND
Start the Diet Now Advertisement
With new diets hitting the market faster than we can lose a pound, it is not too often that you stumble upon a diet that has been around for more than 20 years. The Cambridge Diet has proudly clocked some years under its svelte belt. Developed in the 80s, it still enjoys a very loyal and passionate audience of dieters who have been successful at losing weight and keeping it off.
It is a liquid diet program that involves drinking 3 servings of the signature Cambridge Diet formula each day with or without food. The three servings provide you with protein (either 30 or 50 grams), carbohydrates, fat, fiber and your daily-required vitamin and mineral allowances.
About ten years ago, the Cambridge Diet added an additional product to their 330 Original Product. The 420 Food for Life product contains 100% of the required daily protein needs in 3 servings whereas the 330 Product contains 75% of the required protein. The protein source comes from whey and soy. Both of them are nutritional supplements that do not contain drugs, medicine, stimulants or herbs.
There are four ways for you to follow the Cambridge Diet: - The Fast Track: Consume 3-4 servings of Cambridge a day and no additional food. - The Alternate Program: Use 3-4 servings of Cambridge for one day with no food and then the following day, consume 3 servings of Cambridge with the addition of 400-800 calories of low fat, low calorie health food. Continue to alternate in this manner. - The Regular Program: Eat 3 servings of Cambridge 15- 20 minutes prior to each low calorie meal. Calories should not exceed 400-800 for the entire day. - The Regular Program 2: Consume 3 servings of Cambridge and eat one meal of low calorie food each day. Calories should not exceed 400- 800 calories for the entire day.
Do You Know the Best Diet Pills of 2024?
PRO
- Cambridge Diet contains all the essential nutrients
- Has a proven success rate
- Safe for diabetics and those with high blood pressure
CON
- Its limited consumption of food may incite excessive eating
- May be too calorically-restrictive for some individuals
- Does not teach you to eat in a healthy and long-term way
- Long-term weight loss may not be sustained
- Calories might be too restrictive for exercise
DIET and NUTRITION
The foundation of the Cambridge Diet is its signature line of shakes. They come in an array of flavors like chocolate, vanilla, eggnog, strawberry, cappuccino, banana cream and many more. The shakes come in two styles: The Original and the Food for Life.
The Food for Life product contains 51 grams of protein, 54 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fat and 140 calories per shake. It also includes 100% of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals. The Original contains 31 grams of protein and contains about 110 calories per shake.
There is also a line of additional Cambridge products like soups, nutrition bars, and super oats.
When taken the prescribed three times a day, you'll only consume 420 calories. If you select to follow a plan that allows for food, you should not consume anymore than an additional 800 calories a day and these calories should come from low-calorie and low-fat foods like vegetables and lean proteins. If you are on the smaller side, it is recommended that you only consume an additional 400 calories on top of the 420 calories for the Cambridge products.
You are also strongly encouraged to drink at least 3-4 liters of water each day.
EXERCISE
Since the Cambridge Diet is so restrictive, exercise should be done cautiously. It is not recommended to start a new strenuous exercise program while on the Cambridge Diet. Moderate exercise like walking or biking is useful once you start to lose weight, providing that it is approached with caution and not done with excess.
CONCLUSION
There is no question that The Cambridge Diet has been around for a long time. And in the process, many have had luck losing weight by following its strict dietary regimen. Since the diet is so low in calories, check with your doctor before starting it, especially if you have an existing medical condition.
The Cambridge Diet devotees swear by the diet's ability to help them lose weight as long as the program is followed correctly. But like most diets that rely on shakes or supplements to shed pounds, its potential for long-term weight loss and for instilling sound and healthy eating habits in you is not that promising.
Common Misspellings
cambrdge Diet, cambradge diet, cambridge deit, camebridge diet, cambridge liquid diet, cambridgediet.com
Featured Diets and Supplements
Cambridge Diet?
User Feedback
(Page 12 of 59, 1175 total comments)Monica
Ok .. havent posted in a while, that's b/c i've not been good. I've managed to lose over a stone (but that's since November last year - and keep it off) and I have not been strict at all with this. I just find the whole thing v expensive. I live by myself so I know for sure I wouldnt be spending £75 every two weeks on food anyway - this amount of money each month is madness .. yes it works but so would Slimfast if i did it the CD way religiously. I'm not saying I dont like this way but I just find the whole process expensive.
posted Mar 17th, 2009 1:17 pmI'm going on holiday in July and really want to lose about another 2 stones.
Maybe diet and exercise might work (just not as fast) ...
n e ways .. i'll let you know how i get on in the next few weeks!
aqsa
Hi Fiona K ,
posted Mar 17th, 2009 10:14 amHow you are doing?How much you lost in total.I always get inspiration from u.
Aileen
Hi All
posted Mar 13th, 2009 1:59 pmIve started the CD today and Im on 3 shakes a day. Its now 6pm and Ive had my last one.. help!! I need to loose 6 stone to be at my happiest. I have a big chariety night out in two weeks time that I will be going to and will have to eat (its black tie) so I cant sit with everyone at the table and have a shake!!!! Just wondering how to handle the day after and any other advise on it. Keep telling myself that this wont be for long.......
nilly
-hey everyone i have now been on cambridge for 6 weeks.
posted Mar 9th, 2009 3:08 pmalthough its very good. but i am absolutely starving.
i really crave for my indian curry or a piece of toast or a bar of chocolate.
fair enoug youre not aloowed to have conventional foods its worth it in the end.
but its just so much torture i have cried so many times. but i knwo it will be worth it in the end. so i will be keeing up with the regime.
anyway all the best to people who do wana go ahead with it. but one thing i must state is you have to have an immense amount of will power and determination to stay on this diet for long.
aqsa
Hi samiam ,
posted Mar 9th, 2009 11:38 amI am from pakistan but i live in UK.I am using this diet.its hard to stick to it.As you know family Culture.My husband want to put on weight and i want to loose.I am coming back home ist time after my marraige.I have to lose 3 stone.
cheekygops
+Hi to everyone. I now going onto week 5 of ss, all going well! Have lost 21lbs in four weeks, have had some bad cravings but I now know its emotional hunger!! Keep going everyone. After so many failed attempts have got my head and determination in the right place.
posted Mar 9th, 2009 6:40 amKeep strong, does work and is worth it. keep you updated. x
samiam
day one of ss after a week of 2 shakes and a meal. almost raided the fridge then told myself to go online, thank god for this site, i just got my motivation back and now it ss all the way. I have to lose 5 stone i think thats about 70 lbs and i really need this support site as i live in Pakistan and bought my shakes back from dubai so i don't have a local counselor, though i do have a doctor. any advise on how often i should way myself. i lost 2.5 kg last week. love reading all the posts xx
posted Mar 7th, 2009 10:21 amEllen
+Early days for me - this is my third day on CD, but so far so good. I think l'll find it more difficult at the weekend.
posted Mar 5th, 2009 6:18 amshambles
I started CD last week monday 23rd of Feb and last time i weighed six days in had lost 6lbs...but that night i went to a party and lost all my willpower and had everything from pizza to fried chicken...i felt terrible because i went prepared (i had a shake in the car) and just lost it.
posted Mar 4th, 2009 10:30 ami re-started the next day and weighed myself the day after and i had gained..i dont know if its the meal i ate, or if i am seriously beating myself up about nothing but i am so upset with myself now..i am on sole source and should be moving to add a meal in 4 days but its the hardest time of my life right now.....and i just dont think i can make it.
Fiona K
I go to my CD counseller every Tuesday. i do nip on my own digital scales on the sunday just to see how i am doing. Thats me lost 21 pounds in 3 weeks.
posted Feb 26th, 2009 12:24 pmkelly
how often are you weighing yourselves? i'm thinking of starting the cambridge diet but i'm a little worried it seems so extreme be interested in your comments
posted Feb 22nd, 2009 6:38 amFiona K
Well second weigh in and lost a further 4 and half pounds. thats 17llbs in 2weeks. Yippee. Need to stick to it though. I am now starting to introduce excerise so hopefully that will accelerate it :)
posted Feb 17th, 2009 6:59 pmFiona K
for aqsa: I didnt do any excerise as advised in my first week not to. I have started this week. Going to the swimming and also treadmill.
posted Feb 13th, 2009 6:04 pmTheresa
+Hi everyone, I have just done the first week of CD and lost 9lb. Amazing. I was really inspired reading about you Jane as I have about 7 stone to loose. I have had a lot of negative remarks from some friends. A coupld of friends started it four weeks ago and have lost 2st 4lb and 2st 6lb each. It really is amazing if you stick to it. After the initial couple of days of headaches I feel marvelous.
posted Feb 12th, 2009 5:18 pmaqsa
Hi Fiona K ,
posted Feb 12th, 2009 9:04 amIs it 12.5 pounds in 1 week?.Are you doing any excercise as well.
Andy
I have been on this since 25th Jan. I have lost 15 lbs as of last weigh in (5th Feb), I get weighed tomorrow and hope that the rapid loss is sustained.
posted Feb 11th, 2009 7:37 amFiona K
Hi all well had my first weigh in and i lost 12 and a half pounds. Amazing. I couldnt believe it.
posted Feb 11th, 2009 7:32 amAll that hard work paid off. Now onto a new week and i am determinded to stick to it again. :)
vic
Im on day 4 of CD, i don't feel hungry just soooooo tired! Weigh on Friday, valentines this weekend. Ok in the week don't even think about food it's the weekends- what a killer! help!
posted Feb 11th, 2009 5:18 amSarah
+I love this, i started 4 weeks ago and have lost 17lbs, i am not hungry at all and am finding it easy
posted Feb 9th, 2009 4:21 amFiona K
For Jane:
posted Feb 8th, 2009 5:08 pmThanx Jane for your advise and your achievement is outstanding - well done. Only i can hope for such a great result. I have been feeling better. Headaches & tiredness gone and i even managed to go swimming this morning. I havent cheated once. The water situation isnt too good but i went back to my counseller and got some of the berry mix and thats fab. A bit costly at 6.50 but think it will last for a while. My weigh in is in 2 days so i will feedback and let you all know how i got on :)