What is the Cambridge Diet? Your Ultimate Guide

With promises of rapid weight loss, the popular Cambridge Diet offers a tailor-made programme structured around eating low-calorie products, which are made up of branded soups, shakes, bars and porridges.

The diet was developed by Dr Alan Howards in 1970 and launched in the US as a commercial product in 1980, which swiftly made its way across to the UK, as a commercial product in 1984.

How does the Cambridge diet work?

Depending on the individual’s weight-loss goals – anywhere between obesity to wanting to lose a few stones – the Cambridge Diet is accustomed to all with a six-step flexible programme.

The diet is designed to deliver immediate results. Dieters can see losses of up to one stone of weight within the first month, just by following the guidelines in the programme. The first-step, known to be the most extreme of all the six steps, provides dieters with only the Cambridge low-calorie products as their sole source of nutrition – replacing all other meals; however, if you prefer a gradual weight loss, the other steps allow products to be taken in tandem with normal meals – with a need to drink plenty of water.

Soups, shakes and the porridges come as sachets, which requires mixing with water. The shakes come in the flavours of strawberry and banana.

The soup flavours include vegetable, spicy tomato, oriental chilli, chicken and mushroom.

Porridge comes in original, maple, pecan, apple and cinnamon. And, the chewy or crunch bars provide a variety of flavours including; toffee, caramel, chocolate, chocolate mint, chocolate orange, or peanut.

Cambridge Weight Plan

This diet cannot be purchased in store. You will need to start by getting in touch with a Cambridge Weight Diet Plan consultant, who will weigh and measure you, and depending on your weight-goals decides a programme that best suits your lifestyle.

Not only are you given the best plan, your consultant will be on hand to offer support, motivation and one-to-one guidance throughout your weight-loss journey, and maintenance.

Once you’ve reached your target weight, your Cambridge Weight Plan Consultant will assist you with recommendations for a healthy future, providing a stable diet plan, with ideas on what to cook and eat for your balanced meals.

How safe is the Cambridge Diet?

There are significant health risks involved with this diet, and many physicians are unwilling to recommend this diet according to its highly restrictive nature and lack of physical activity. Rapid weight loss can trigger dizziness, tiredness, insomnia, nausea, bad-breath, change in mood, and a loss of vital nutrients such as potassium, calcium and sodium.

Other problems likely to flare up during the meal-replacement plan can stretch from boredom; difficulty sticking to the diet, whilst some may struggle with the restrictions, leaving them feeling socially isolated.

The Cambridge Diet should be utilized under the right circumstances, with medical supervision, which is why it is imperative to consult with a Cambridge Consultant. With intake of 1000 calories a day or less, this diet should not be followed for more than 12 continuous weeks without a break, and doesn’t sustain for long periods.

Food for thought

There are no short-term fixes, or easy ways of shifting excess weight, and sometimes we find ourselves seeking encouragement in the latest diet fad.

A strict low-calorie intake may kick-start your diet and motivate you to keep going, however in the long term replacing normal meals with a snack bar or soup will eventually lead to you feeling sluggish, frustrated and hungry. There is also the obvious risk of slipping back into old eating habits – where you’re more likely to gain rebound weight. This is why at MotivatePT we don’t recommend any extreme dietary fix, preferring to focus on a healthy and balanced lifestyle instead.

According to dietitians and nutritionists a productive and successful way of losing weight, and managing to keep it off, is by taking small steps to changing your diet, increasing physical activity and having a healthier attitude towards food.

So diet well.