Cambridge Diet: Read this before you start!

1. Due to the increasing number of overweight people in our western world, it is not surprising that a new diet is appearing in bookstores every month. Sometimes, however, it happens that an old diet is brought back to life. And that's exactly what we see with the Cambridge Diet.

1. But what exactly is the Cambridge Diet?

2. But what is the Cambridge Diet anyway?

1. The Cambridge Diet has been around since the 1960's. The program was developed by Dr. Alan Howard, a researcher at the University of Cambridge.

1. To study the results of the diet, Dr. Howard and later Dc. McLean-Baird joined forces.

1. The Cambridge Diet is based on the belief that anyone can lose weight effectively if they follow a balanced diet. This formula contains a number of essential vitamins, a limited amount of calories, and the perfect amount of carbohydrates. This makes it possible, according to the inventor, to lose fat quickly without losing energy.

2. The Cambridge Diet is based on the belief that anyone can lose weight effectively if they diet according to a balanced formula. This formula contains a number of essential vitamins, a limited amount of calories, and the perfect amount of carbohydrates. This makes it possible, according to the inventor, to lose fat quickly without losing energy.

1. The diet itself is built up in four different phases that you have to go through if you want to increase your chances of success as much as possible. These stages include preparation, weight loss, stabilization and maintenance. These phases are then divided into a total of 6 steps that are based on a certain amount of calories.

2. The diet itself is built up in four different phases that you have to go through if you want to maximize your chances of success. These stages include preparation, weight loss, stabilization and maintenance. These phases are then divided into a total of 6 steps that are based on a certain amount of calories.

The different steps of the Cambridge Diet

1. Step 1 ('Sole Source') contains approximately 415-615 calories per day. This portion of the diet is only intended for people with a BMI of 25 or more. During step 1 it is intended that all meals will be replaced with a meal replacement from the Cambridge diet.

2. Step 1 ('Sole Source') contains approximately 415-615 calories per day. This portion of the diet is only intended for people with a BMI of 25 or more. During step 1, all meals are intended to be replaced with a Cambridge diet meal replacement.

1. Step 2 is suitable for people with a BMI over 20. This step includes a diet of up to 810 calories per day. This weight loss program includes three Cambridge diet meals in addition to small portions of meat, white fish, tofu, cheese, vegetables and low-fat milk.

1. Step 3 is for people who don't want to miss their meals completely. This step comprises 100 kcal and consists of two Cambridge diet meals per day. In addition, the program also allows traditional foods such as pasta, vegetables, potatoes, and even desserts to be added during this step.

1. Step 4 is a lot easier to follow and involves about 1200 calories per day. This step also includes two meal replacements along with a number of other healthy choices (fish, vegetables, dairy, and some meat).

1. Step 5 contains only one meal replacement per day, although calorie counts still need to be taken into account. During this step, probably the easiest step of all, you can consume 1500 calories per day. Here too, however, you must pay attention to exactly which food you consume per day. There are specific products that should be avoided altogether, including refined carbohydrates in particular.

1. Step 6 is actually the maintenance phase and can be followed by people who want to maintain their weight, regardless of whether they follow this step immediately or have lost weight with the other steps first. During this step, a maximum of 2000 calories is consumed per day. You can also add more foods to your diet during step 6, and you may also use the Cambridge meal replacements.

2. Step 6 is actually the maintenance phase and can be followed by people who want to maintain their weight, regardless of whether they follow this step immediately or have lost weight first with the other steps. During this step, a maximum of 2000 calories is consumed per day. You can also add more foods to your diet during step 6, and you may also use the Cambridge meal replacements.

1. The meal replacements include:

Is the Cambridge Diet Healthy?

1. I think everyone would agree that the Cambridge Diet is certainly not the healthiest diet. Although you do get all the nutrients, you eat very few fresh foods, especially in the early stages. However, it is precisely these foods, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, that are full of phytonutrients. These nutrients protect you against a variety of diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

1. In addition, however, there are also other risks associated with this diet:

2. In addition, there are also other risks associated with this diet:

1. The sheer amount of energy restriction on this diet is one of the reasons why there are so many specialists who do not support this. In general, people eat a lot less than 800 kcal a day, especially during the first phase, which should never be followed for longer than 12 weeks - precisely because it contains so little energy and certain shortages can arise. Most doctors recommend a daily minimum of 1200 calories and for active people this is certainly not enough. In fact, many specialists believe that the Cambridge Diet makes people starve to get rid of fat as quickly as possible.

1. One of the risks of a diet with so little kcal is the development of gallstones. Research has shown that very rapid weight loss of more than 1.5 kg per week is associated with an increased risk of gallstones. In fact, one in four people who eat such a low calorie diet for several months will eventually suffer from gallstones and one third of these cases will eventually require surgery. If you have a history of gallbladder problems or have been operated on by someone in your family, it is highly recommended that you avoid this diet if you want to preserve your gallbladder and avoid complications.

1. Another potential risk of the Cambridge diet is the phase of ketosis you end up in if you get so little energy. Ketosis means that your body does not get nearly enough calories and therefore starts to burn muscle mass in addition to stored body fat. Ketosis is also more common with extremely low-carbohydrate diet programs. These are often referred to as the 'zero-carb' diets. Although ketosis is harmless for a short time, this unnatural state can cause damage to your liver and kidneys in the long run. The Cambridge Diet, however, focuses on getting into this state of ketosis in order to burn fat as quickly as possible.

1. When you consume so little energy, your glucose stores are depleted. This often causes you to lose a lot of water. Normally your water levels return to normal, but when you eat so few calories for a long time, this becomes more difficult. Dehydration can be a consequence of this, especially if you do not drink enough water per day.

Finally ...

1. The advantage of the Cambridge Diet is that there are several meal products and flavors to choose from. Unlike other similar products, you will probably be less likely to get bored. The Cambridge brand itself also claims to be a lot cheaper than other meal replacements.

1. The Cambridge Diet is extremely strict and while it may work for some people, it is probably not the right choice for the majority of people, especially as you are constantly dependent on meal replacements. This diet is also calorie based, which means it is not suitable for extremely active people - the later steps also contain far too few calories to provide athletes with enough energy. If you choose the diet while continuing your sporting activities, you may also lose valuable muscle mass instead of just fat. Finally, the Cambridge Diet provides so little energy that many people simply cannot keep it up for more than a few days. This is what most find out after buying a whole supply of meal replacements. Tip: if you still want to follow the diet, try it out for 2 or 3 days before you spend all your money on products that may be of no use to you.

1. However, if you are very overweight and it is important to your health that you lose weight quickly, the Cambridge diet may be an option. The products provide you with all the essential nutrients, but it is of course healthier in all cases to get them from natural foods. If you like a disciplined system, you can also choose to enroll in step 4 or 5, so that you do not have to live on just 400 kcal. Keep in mind that there is a good chance that this system will get boring after a few weeks and does not offer you enough freedom to keep it up in the long run. Of course it is your choice to try it out.

1. And if you already have experience with the Cambridge diet, let me know in the comments!