Cambridge Diet: Dealing With The Negative

The Cambridge Diet – Dealing with the Negative

If you have been on the Cambridge Weight Plan for a while, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about. What is it about dieting?  It’s a bit like pregnancy, where people feel the need to critique your life choices. Some people don’t like to tell their friends/family/colleagues because they’re worried about their reactions. Or perhaps you’re thinking about going on the diet yourself and have your own concerns.

So, let’s look at people’s standard comments:

• If you lose it fast, you’ll put it all back on again
• It’s not healthy to lose weight that quickly
• It can’t possibly be good for you eat so few calories a day or, you’ll never survive on that amount of calories a day
• If you lose weight quickly you’ll have saggy skin
• How can you afford it?

If You Lose It Fast, You’ll Put It Back on Fast

This is the biggest concern and the one most new clients will ask me too. The answer is no you won’t.

The problem with whatever diet you go on, no matter if it’s slow or fast is you have to change your eating habits for life. You cannot just go on a diet and then go back to how you were eating before, because if you do you will put it on again and it is people’s biggest mistake (and one I fall into as well). Eat like you used to and it will go back on again.

There is a great article here in The Telegraph (Crash dieting is more effective than gradual weight loss, study suggests) about how people lose weight quickly are more likely to succeed at dieting. I can relate, the rate of loss in inspiring and motivating.

“The researchers found that 8 out of the 10 people assigned to the rapid weight loss programme achieved their goal compared with just 50 percent of the steady dieters.”

It then goes on to say:

“It shows clearly that rapid weight loss does not lead to faster weight regain, but importantly can be a better approach since more people achieved their target loss, and fewer dropped out of treatment.”

Interesting… no?

But one quote that did really stick out to me was that 7 out of 10 people that lose weight go on to regain it. Wow, 70%. That’s quite a depressing figure.

So how can you address that? Cambridge has a six step programme to help people reintroduce food back into their lives slowly. I personally think that moving up the steps are really critical to helping people to get to grips with the diet and a common mistake people make is not doing this. My Fitness Pal is also a great way to monitor your calorie intake when you start eating again. The main thing is fast results, doesn’t mean a quick fix. It means keeping you motivated to reach goal and staying there.

It’s Not Healthy to Lose Weight that Quickly / You Can’t Survive on That Few Calories

Let’s tackle both of these at the same time. If you want more of an idea of how the diet plan works and how you don’t feel hungry, and actually have plenty of energy on the diet, then read my post – My First 4 Weeks on the Cambridge Diet.

First and foremost your body gets everything it needs nutritionally from the Cambridge products. Actually this is probably more vitamins and minerals than you normally have – how many people can hand on heart say they have their 5 a day, everyday?

When I was on this diet I had more energy than I normally do and actually found that I needed to sleep less. And my skin, which is usually really prone to breakouts was the best it’s ever been. I’m not going to lie there were days when I did seriously, seriously miss food – there were a few occasions I had to talk myself out of having any. But, for the most part I really did feel pretty good.

There are side affects and any consultant will talk you through them. But for me personally, who never thought I would lose the weight (and I had tried a few diets out there), they outweighed the long term side affects of being overweight/obese.

Saggy Skin?

Actually, this was one I  was worried about. There is a combination of factors that affect this – how much you have to lose, drinking lots of water while you’re on the diet and exercise helps. However, essentially it really does come down to how elastic your skin is and good genes.

If it’s going to happen to you, it will happen… whatever diet you’re on, regardless of speed. I know that isn’t totally reassuring. Again I guess goes down to weighing your choices.

It’s Expensive

Finally, let’s address the cost. Firstly I think anyone asking about your personal financial situation is super cheeky and they should mind your own business, but I know that it is often a concern for people thinking about starting the diet too.

Cambridge Weight Plan have put together this great graphic showing how Cambridge compares to other leading commercial diets, which I think is really useful.

You have to remember, assuming you start on Sole Source of course, that you eat no or very little food on this diet until you get close to your goal weight. So the diet and product cost are essentially your personal weekly grocery bill.

But, also sit down and think what you honestly spend each month on food and drink. A coffee and a cake here, a takeaway there, a trip to the pub or a couple of bottles of wine, lunch out, a sneaky visit to the bakery for a sausage roll and think about what you really and truly spend on food. Most people find they actually spend less on this diet than they did before.

In Summary

The Cambridge Weight Plan works. I’m not here to be disrespectful towards other diets. In life we are all different. You might be organised you might not be, different athletes have different ways of training, and writers have different ways of devising their stories. Why should dieting be any different? People have to find the diet that it right for them. For some slow and steady wins the race, for others it doesn’t.

When I went on this diet, I was desperate and it has changed my life completely. I hope that it will do the same for others. But whatever diet you are on I hope you reach your end goal.

Instead let’s perhaps all focus on helping people to reaching goal and staying there. What if we could halve that 70% figure or even better abolish it entirely? The diet isn’t even half the story.

---

I have blogged about the Cambridge Diet for several years, but in February I became a Cambridge Weight Plan Consultant, working in the Bracknell and Ascot area. If you fancy working with me, please visit my Official Cambridge Weight Plan page or visit my Cambridge Diet page to find out more and see all my Cambridge Diet related posts :-).