Back to 500 calories a day
Less than 500 kilocalories per day and still get all your nutrients? No more counting calories and losing six to ten pounds in a month? The Cambridge Diet is music to your ears.
How does it work?
Eating as few carbohydrates as possible will help you lose the most weight, according to Dr. Alan Howard, creator of the diet. Your body stores energy as fat and carbohydrates. When your body needs fuel, it will first use your carbohydrate reserve before it starts your fat reserve. And just when you want to lose weight, you want to get rid of that fat. That’s why Dr. Howard recommends foods that are rich in protein. Fats and carbohydrates should be avoided as much as possible. To prevent you from eating back all the lost kilos immediately, the Cambridge diet contains a reduction plan: The Cambridge lifestyle seven-step plan. This plan also looks at your thinking patterns behind the food.
What should you do?
With the Cambridge diet you replace all meals with low-calorie soups, shakes and bars. One serving contains about 150 kcal and you can have three of those per day. You can only lose weight via the Cambridge diet by registering with a Cambridge consultant. You can also get the meal replacements here.
After three weeks, you should always insert a gap week. After all, you follow a diet with meal replacements and you occasionally have to add ‘normal’ food. You can therefore have a light evening meal in addition to the three meal replacements in the gap week.
For who is it?
Because you consume a maximum of 500 kcal in a day, the kilos will fly off. Ideal if you want to quickly fit into that one dress again, because you want to look good at that one party. Or if after your umpteenth diet attempt you are ready for a diet where you lose weight quickly.
What do experts think?
According to the Nutrition Center you should consume at least 1200 kcal per day. Consultant Els Dijkstra: “A body cannot live on 500 kcal per day. A number of diet followers have reported to the Nutrition Center with complaints such as headache, dizziness, constipation or diarrhea and nausea. The Cambridge diet works with meal replacements, while you are a client. should learn to deal with ‘normal’ foods.”
Advantages
It is a quick and easier way to lose weight. No need to count calories or cook according to recipes.
Cons
You have to give up a lot. While you are having your umpteenth shake, your partner is eating a plate of spaghetti. Chocolate, a stroopwafel and even a biscuit or glass of diet soda are out of the question.
Disclaimer
The effectiveness of a diet depends on many factors. Losing a lot of weight quickly is never a good idea, so avoid the so-called crash diets. People who are seriously overweight (BMI > 30) are better off consulting a dietician for a tailor-made diet than following a diet on their own. Also keep in mind that most diets are designed for ‘life’. Whoever falls back into his or her old diet, will quickly regain the lost kilos.
