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Cambridge Diet

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 2024
What 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.

How Does Cambridge Diet Compare?
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User Feedback

(Page 2 of 59, 1175 total comments)

sumaya

+

The program has become relatively easy to me after 8 days. I could walk now without feeling like I could faint. So far I lost 3 kg despite having PCOS. I'm so happy at this rate I might finish in 3 or 4 months.

As for the taste thank god I told the consultant to give me a good variety. because I found out that some products were terrible alone even the popular ones that I have been excited about and I plan on avoiding them next month.

posted May 18th, 2015 12:48 pm


John Woods

+

On the weekend I won the Australian Cambridge Slimmer of the year after losing 42kg.

My advice would be to stick with it. The first week I found to be hard but once that was over the diet for me became real easy to do.

The feeling that you have when you reach your goal is unbelievable. I always knew I had excess of 40kg to lose but I never looked to far ahead. For me the way my body changed and fitting into clothes was more important than the kilos lost.

Good luck with your diet, I know its corny but if I can do it then anyone can. Just stick with it and in no time you will be a new person

posted May 6th, 2015 11:43 am

sumaya

+

I have been changing my eating habits to healthier options with no luck due to pcos, this my last resolution and I'm hoping it will work to shed my excess weight.

The cons so far as I'm still on day 2 is that the meals taste weird its like someone promised you chocolate but mixed medicine in it you can clearly taste the chocolate but you know there is something else. I'm looking forward to see how this turns out.

posted May 5th, 2015 9:03 am

Amanda

Day one ok days two and three I had the worst headache of my life (I'm on stage 2) going to persevere but I'm hungry :(

posted Mar 11th, 2015 9:45 pm

Theodore

Stupid, Stupid, diet!!! Of course weight is going to drop if you starve your body, eat 800 cals a day worth of chocolate and you will drop wait. All this diet will do is destroy metablosim result in greater weight gain once you come off their profit hungry crappy ingrediant product. Research iifym (if it fits your macros), and educate yourselfs the basics of nutrition. workout your maintanaince calories, record all the food you eat during a week (everything!!!!) use an app like myfitness pal, if your wait goes up, you are eating in a calorie surplus, so need to reduce calories (start with 500). if your wait does not change after recoding evrything, you know that is your maintaince level. to lose wait all you have to eat in a deficit, so cut 300 calories from from your maintainance, then when you plataeu a wait loss stops drop another 250 calories. you should only be aiming to lose around 2lbs a week. or you will destroy your metabolism, end up with saggy stretch marks. i am a personal trainer and it pains me to see people falling for this crap and destroying your bodies. nothing healthy about starving yourselves. Its not difficult to lose weight with a sensible understanding of basic nutrition, and you will be able to continue to eat the foods that you love (within reason). I have a girl dropping 2lbs a week whilst consuming 1,800 calories a day, and she has a nomal metabolism. im sick of these companies taking advnatage of the uneducated promising unatainable goals. If anybody wants help, I will aid you with a sensible nutritional plan that will guarantee sustainable fatloss over a prologonged time, allowing to eat foods that you like. at the end of the day its a lifestyle choice and a marathon not a sprint. I will feel a thousand times better doing this the proper way.email [email protected] (I am completely free) and I will do my best to get back to you and help you!

posted Jan 23rd, 2015 3:16 pm

Titwice

+

Love it Love it Love it. Great meals. love the chocolate velvet the most.

posted Jan 22nd, 2015 11:59 am

Deebee

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So easy,fast results, lots of flavours to chose from. Cost is offset by the fact that I don't buy coffees or snacks anymore

posted Nov 22nd, 2014 11:44 am

lizzy

yeaah its just the best

posted Nov 29th, 2013 7:52 pm

starver

+

have done cambridge before it is amazing. transforms your life for the better.

posted Aug 12th, 2013 12:02 pm

DAWN

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Hi all,ihave started the CD yesterday,im on stage 2,3 cd meals a day and a low calorie meal too.Yesterday my 1st day I couldn't wait for my dinner,and savoured every mouthful lol,and today day two,this morning I felt tired when I woke up,but then had 2 glasses of water,a black coffee and a cd choc bar and felt wide awake again for a few hours.I have my own cleaning business so am doing a strenuous job,so not sure if 800 cals a day will be enough.Although im gonna stick it out a long as I can.I want to lose at least 4 stone.I will prob have extra veg,as 80 grams doesn't seem quite enough,im hoping it wont make much difference to the diet beings I clean for at least 8hrs a day.My weigh in is next Tuesday so will let you know my weight loss.Im so excited about this,and am 99.9% sure I will stick to it as long as I feel well.Good luck to all of you who are on this.My friend inspired me,she lost 12 stone in one year and is now a recent consultant,she has started me on this,im so happy.xx

posted Mar 20th, 2013 2:52 pm

Gail sheeran

?

Where can I buy the Cambridge Diet? If I live abroad can I do the cambridge diet?

2 Answers
posted Mar 6th, 2013 8:50 am

dan 198

starting my diet 2mrow date 16th feb 2013. start weight 22stones 9lbs.

shall start the 3 CD and 1 small meal.

need to lose weight due to serious health.

wish me luck xx

posted Feb 15th, 2013 5:19 pm

costas

+

It works for me !
Its the second time in my life on diet at age 41
office work life with difficult hours for exercising so I was looking a program that does not combine exercise.
I lost 12 kilos in 7 weeks (in an average 1.5-2 kilos per 10 days). Yes it was difficult the first 4-5 days but then it becomes so easy that I do not believe that is me loosing the weight because you do not need to think what to eat, prepare, what is right or wrong ... is simple.
The diet has 7 steps to prepare you for long term good eating habit i.e. eat with balance.

posted Nov 20th, 2012 12:30 am

Faye

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Lost 3 stone in 9 weeks (on SS) only 2.5 stone to go! I absolutely love CWP x

posted Nov 18th, 2012 10:53 pm

Audie

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I went on this diet in the early 80s and lost 60 pounds. It took aprox 13 weeks to do this. I have recently gone back on it and have been loosing about a pound a day on average. First 3 days are the toughest. I have had no side affects other than the cravings for the first 3 days. After a week I saw my stomach get smaller and the weight I have lost and it keeps me motivated. I also mix a scoop of fiber and a scoop of whey protein. I also do a light weight routine every other day, and do a walk / jog for an hour every day. I seem to have plenty of energy, I think more than I did before the diet. Do not discourage stay true and it will work. Sometime the weight comes off in chunks. In the 80s when on this diet I went 5 days and did not loose any weight then the next day I weighed and lost 9 pounds,
I also make my shakes with more water than normal since I add the additional fiber and protein. The fiber helps greatly i would recoomend to add it. I do the extra protien for my weight training. I hope this may help some of you.

posted Jul 18th, 2012 5:11 pm

saima tahseen

day 2 today and i check i loss 3 pounds

posted Jul 2nd, 2012 12:31 pm

carol

+

Hi ive been on the cd since end of October 2011 and have lost nearly 5 stone. i came off it over cgristmas and have had two holidays, on the last one i lost 6lb. i do zumba 2 or 3 times a week, which is hard with no food but it really helps to tone you with such rapid weight loss. it is brilliant. 2 stone to go x

posted Jun 25th, 2012 6:04 pm

Rebecca

Hey peeps,
I have been on cambridge Diet for 5 weeks on SS and must say its the best diet I have ever done! I have lost 2 stone!!! yes 2 stone the first 4 days are murder and you feel emotional, have headaches, feel sick and tired... But if you can get past that is smooth sailing from there. I even went on 2 week holiday out of my 5 weeks and took my shakes felt amazing to come back and actually lose 9 pounds!!! Lots of people slate the diet by saying not enough calories however all I can say is I feel 10 times better now then when I was September I will be at my goal weight if not before I will keep you all posted!!!

posted Jun 18th, 2012 6:46 pm


Louise Esbach

Hi Everyone
I did the cambridge diet last year before my wedding and managed to lose 4 stone in 3 months :-) However, what with a few personal problems before the wedding, I stopped abruptly and never continued with it.... However, I am now back on it and am almost through the first week yay :-) I have 2 1/2 stone to lose but want to be able to spend more time coming off the diet on a gradual basis so that I can maintain the weight.... :-)

posted May 21st, 2012 12:07 pm

bhavna

+

lovely programme.....once u start its awesome....lovely shakes...my favourite is cappaccino..LF.

posted May 19th, 2012 9:22 am


 

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BACKGROUNDBACKGROUND 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?

PROPRO
  • Cambridge Diet contains all the essential nutrients
  • Has a proven success rate
  • Safe for diabetics and those with high blood pressure
CONCON
  • 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 NUTRITIONDIET 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.

EXERCISEEXERCISE

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.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

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 MisspellingsCommon Misspellings

cambrdge Diet, cambradge diet, cambridge deit, camebridge diet, cambridge liquid diet, cambridgediet.com

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