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Home 
Diets
Calorie Counting
How Does
Cambridge Diet Compare?
BACKGROUND
Start the Diet Now Advertisement
PRO
CON
DIET and NUTRITION
EXERCISE
CONCLUSION
Common Misspellings
Whats better than
Cambridge Diet?
Diets
Calorie Counting
Cambridge Diet Review (UPDATED 2025): Don't Buy Before You Read This!
A liquid diet that may be too calorie restrictive for long-term success.
Top Rated Diets of 2025What 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 2025?
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
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- 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 2025?
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 50 of 59, 1175 total comments)nat1979
im starting ss on tuesday and am hoping it will work for me! i have about 6st to loose! so keep your fingers crossed for me and good luck to all of you
posted Apr 17th, 2008 7:11 amshelly
hi everyone well i have done it i started today. My first day started badly i had a strawberry shake. I struggled to drink it as the smell was very clinical and tasted very minerally. I thought about getting straws so i culdn't smell it as it was making me retch and i struggled to get it down. Are all flavours like this. I blended mine in blender but not sure about work yet, gonna have to lump it i guess. Well done everyone on your weight losses, that is what has enspired me to do it. xxx
posted Apr 17th, 2008 7:11 amHMC
Hi ya, Im on day two of SS, and have got 4 stone to shift!! i have done this once before but stopped due to lack of will power. this time my husband is doing it with me. i hated the milkshakes and they made me heave when i had them, but i tried the tetra packs and found them alot nicer! im not feeling to hungry today, but am feeling sick even though im drinking stupid amounts of water. has anyone else experienced this??
posted Apr 17th, 2008 7:11 amJosieW
I forgot to ask - does anyone else have as much trouble as me getting the lumps out of the shakes? I've tried shaking in a beaker, elec cappucino frother and elec hand whisk (which isn't practical or discrete to take to work)
posted Apr 15th, 2008 8:33 pmJosieW
I forgot to ask - does anyone else have as much trouble as me getting the lumps out of the shakes? I've tried shaking in a beaker, elec cappucino frother and elec hand whisk (which isn't practical or discrete to take to work)
posted Apr 15th, 2008 8:33 pmJosieW
15/4 I've just started wk4 - 1st 2 wks on 1000cals now on SS. Found first few days really tough, in tears by day5. Lost 4 wk1, only 2 on wk2 which is why I went to SS and lost 6. It's really hard going & was a bit disheartened to hear of all the bigger losses tht many of you are having & yesterday was thinking of alternatives to CD. But I've lost 12lbs in 3wks, that can't be bad & reading all your comments is an inspiration. Going to stick with it for now
posted Apr 15th, 2008 8:33 pmJosieW
15/4 I've just started wk4 - 1st 2 wks on 1000cals now on SS. Found first few days really tough, in tears by day5. Lost 4 wk1, only 2 on wk2 which is why I went to SS and lost 6. It's really hard going & was a bit disheartened to hear of all the bigger losses tht many of you are having & yesterday was thinking of alternatives to CD. But I've lost 12lbs in 3wks, that can't be bad & reading all your comments is an inspiration. Going to stick with it for now
posted Apr 15th, 2008 8:33 pmTroopersue
15/04/08 Had my 5th weigh-in last night, 4lb loss this week. That makes a total of 21lb overall. Am really please with that. But, alas the pain in my leg is still there.:( I shall be a stick insect by the time this pain goes ..lol. Thanks for the tip SCW, I shall certainly try it. I spoke to my counsellor about the "coldness", and it seems its due to such few calories on ss. Your body uses what little calories it has in the best way to keep your body/organs functioning correctly. Heat to the body isnt that important so that just falls by the wayside and you feel the cold. Mentioned id had the small jacket potato / salmon etc and got my wrist slapped. lol. NO CARBS !!! And salmon has a high level of fat so that's out too :(. Tuna or white fish is fine. I was going to have just 3 CD meals and a small meal for tea but my counsillor I wouldnt be getting enough vitamins/minerals etc by having such a small meal. So its 3 CD meals plus small meal. I am only going to have a small meal on the days when im cold, havent been cold today so sticking with just the 3 CD meals. Keep up all your fantastic efforts everyone and good luck with your next weigh-in :) xx
posted Apr 15th, 2008 2:26 pmscw
Troopersue, try drinkng hot or warm water, its a good detox and also warms you up. Good luck with the weigh inn. Beany, I agree 6lb is good its just off 1/2 a stone so well done and its 1/2 more than you lost the week before.
posted Apr 15th, 2008 11:52 amAlison
hello everyone I have just ended week for and @i have lost one and half stone it feels so good. I have one or two very small fish with salad meals instead of a cd meal and it has not affected my weight loss. justs keep remembering its not forever its just the begining of a brand new healthier you! keep going every one the summer gets nearer!!! Good luck to all
posted Apr 15th, 2008 11:52 amvictoria
i've been having really bad breath is sugar free smint ok?
posted Apr 15th, 2008 11:52 amlorraine
hi only me just done my 1st day ,i have been fine until i started maken the kids teas ,i could smell everything but i was good ,. a good tip for any with kids wash your hands after so u cant smell wot u have just made them ,cant wait till sunday for my 1st way in ,,,,,good luck and any loss is a loss 6lb off is better than 6lb on keep it up
posted Apr 14th, 2008 5:24 pmbeany
I started cd just over a week ago. I was dissapointed with my weight loss of 6lb in my first week, many of you have success stories of 1st in a week! i havnt cheated, although i now feel tempted to! Have any of you experienced the same or have any advice? i have about 6st to lose and thought that if i lost 1st in my first week, it would be a huge encouragement boost! x
posted Apr 14th, 2008 11:30 amlorraine
hi just goin start my first day and hopein my weight loss will be as good as ,most of the coments i have read . i have lost 5st on my own but its come to a stand still so i need to lose another4st hopin this will help will let you all no wot happens good luck to u all
posted Apr 13th, 2008 9:42 pmTroopersue
13/04/08. Hi once again everyone. So many new faces/names :). Good luck to everyone who has just started. I think it was my last posting I referred to how freezin cold I was......its still ongoing. On Friday I missed a cd meal and had Salmon, green veg and a tiny jacket potato. Not a huge portion, Just enough to look good on a tea plate. Within 90 mins of eating it - I was WARM !!!!. Ohhh the luxury:-). Last night (sat) I missed out a meal again and had two small pieces of chicken and two slices of tomato in a roll. Same thing again, after a while - warmth !!!. I see my counsellor tomorrow evening so I shall definately ask about this. I cant carry on with the cold feeling. Although cold is an understatement. Its more a frozen to my bones feeling and its making me feel ill and miserable. Seems once you get past the week 4 or 5 the coldness sets in :( Im now coming to the end of my wk 5 and it started couple of weeks ago. Will keep updated after tomorrow's weigh-in. Good luck everyone and keep up the good work x.
posted Apr 13th, 2008 9:42 pmKelly
TOPSIE - My manager has told me im moody but i dont think i am being, i feel calm and happy so im not sure if she is just saying it to discourage me as she wants to lose weight but doesnt feel she can do sole source, so im unsure as to wether i have been or not now reading your comments! maybe im a moody mare too!
posted Apr 13th, 2008 9:42 pmKelly
Hi christine, when i first tried the shakes i didnt like them because i added too much water, when i only added half of the shaker of water it made it taste more like milkshake, i really struggled with the soup so now i am just sticking to the shakes and drinking lots of water. How much weight do you want to lose? it is hard work but i have been doing it for 2 weeks now and i have lost 14.0.5lbs and 13.5 inches and feel really positive about it, the first few days i found were the hardest i really struggled with headaches and nausea but it has got easier. GOOD LUCK!
posted Apr 12th, 2008 11:05 amMaria
Hi I think what Andy says is a balanced approach to using the diet to kick start a weight loss programme but you also need to look at your eating habits and your exercise regime. Eating less and exercising more is the only way to keep weight off long term. The reason why this diet has all the different stages, as Andy, says, the body is highly evolved, and it will go into famine mode once you ve been on the diet for a while, hence why you should either increase your calories through the CD food supplements or through adding a meal. I think that if you are feeling really rough, but you dont want to come out of ketosis, as one of the people on this said, she stuck to a high protein and vegtables only and still loss a lot of weight. So if you need to eat, eat a meal like the one descrived above, then you wont come out of ketosis, and you ll have the added benefit of adding extra calories and mixing it up so that your body doesnt go in to famine mode. I think there is a recomended amount of exercise that you should do on this diet, but that you need to increase it moderately as you are increasing your calories, and definatley not trying to do too much with so little calories coming in at the begining of the programme. Good luck!
posted Apr 12th, 2008 11:05 amshelly
hi i really want to do the cd diet i have so much to loose my doctor has refered me to a surgeon about a gastric band but that scares me. how much does it cost and can you choose the flavours as some of them i do not like?
posted Apr 12th, 2008 11:05 amshelly
hi gen read your comment that said you have over 10st to loose. so do i how are you getting on? dont know who to call there are so many cons in my area. i am worried about constipation as after i had my son i had really bad haemroids.
posted Apr 12th, 2008 11:05 am