A low-calorie weight loss regimen that has been around for more than three decades is called the Cambridge Diet. It entails substituting traditional meals with meal-replacement shakes, soups, bars, and snacks. The diet is made to offer a lot of protein and other nutrients while consuming fewer calories, which aids in weight loss.
Origin Of The Cambridge Diet
Dr Alan Howard, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, created the Cambridge Diet for the first time in the United Kingdom in the 1970s. The diet was primarily developed for medical usage as a rapid weight-loss method for obese people before undergoing surgery. It developed into a commercial weight-loss programme over time, and it is currently accessible in many nations all over the world.
How Does The Cambridge Diet Works?
A meal replacement programme called the Cambridge Diet was created to assist people in losing weight rapidly and securely. By limiting calorie intake and offering nutritionally sound meal replacement items to take the place of regular meals, it works.
The diet is broken up into many phases, each of which introduces a broader variety of foods and gradually increases the number of calories. At the beginning of the diet, you only eat 800 calories a day, usually in the form of smoothies, soups, and meal-replacement snacks. These foods are created to offer all the nutrients required while consuming a few calories.
The dieter gradually resumes eating ordinary food as they move through the phases, still using meal replacements to limit calorie intake. The diet’s last stage emphasises weight maintenance and promotes the adoption of healthy eating practices to avoid weight gain.
Because it limits caloric intake, which is the primary contributor to weight loss, the Cambridge Diet is effective. Additionally, the meal replacement items are meant to be nutritionally balanced, ensuring that the dieter is obtaining all the necessary vitamins and minerals despite the calorie restriction.
Different Phases Of The Cambridge Diet
- Weight Loss Phase: The phase of weight loss is sticking to only this Diet foods, such as meal replacement shakes, bars, soups, and snacks. Depending on personal needs and objectives, the target range for daily caloric intake is 400–800.
- Stabilisation Phase: At this time, the dieter gradually resumes eating traditional foods while continuing to use these Diet products to support weight loss.
- Maintenance Phase: entails a gradual increase in caloric intake and a decrease in the use of this Diet product by the dieter. Maintaining weight loss and avoiding weight gain are the objectives.
- Lifestyle Phase: The dieter is advised to establish healthy habits during this phase in order to maintain weight loss over the long term once they have reached their goal weight.
Pros And Cons Of The Cambridge Diet
The Cambridge Diet has benefits and drawbacks, just like any other diet.
Pros
- Weight Loss: Rapid and considerable weight loss is possible with the Cambridge Diet, which can enhance general health and well-being.
- Improved metabolic health: The Cambridge Diet can help people lose weight by lowering their cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels.
- Increased motivation and confidence: Following the Cambridge Diet and losing weight can increase these traits.
- Convenience and simplicity: Due to the meal replacement items’ pre-packaging and lack of preparation requirements, the Cambridge Diet provides a straightforward and practical method of weight loss.
- Nutritional balance: Despite the calorie limitation, the Cambridge Diet is created to be nutritionally harmonious, supplying all the essential vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients.
- Potential health benefits: The Cambridge Diet may also help with gut health and inflammation, in addition to helping with weight loss.
Cons
- Cost: The Cambridge Diet’s meal replacement supplements can be pricey, especially in the long run.
- Limited food choices: This Diet relies solely on meal replacement products, which can get boring and result in a diet with little diversity.
- Potential for nutrient deficiencies: If the low-calorie intake of this Diet’s weight-loss phase is not carefully controlled, it may lead to nutrient deficiencies.
Is The Cambridge Diet Safe?
The Cambridge Diet’s safety has long been a source of discussion. The diet has drawn criticism for its extremely low-calorie consumption, which some people, especially those who already have health concerns, may find unsafe. The diet could also lack the nutrients the body requires, which over time can result in health issues.
This Diet’s supporters counter that the diet is secure when followed under medical supervision and that its meal replacement items are designed to contain all essential elements.
Who Is The Cambridge Diet Suitable For?
The Cambridge Diet is appropriate for people who want to drop pounds quickly and are willing to adhere to a stringent low-calorie diet. For people who have a lot of weight to lose and are driven by quick weight loss, the diet may be especially helpful.
Unfortunately, not everyone should follow this Diet. It is not advised for those with specific medical disorders, including anaemia, liver or renal illness, and type 1 diabetes, as well as those who are pregnant or nursing. It is crucial to speak with a healthcare provider before beginning the Cambridge Diet to ascertain whether it is secure and suitable for you.
Calorie Intake And Macronutrient Composition Of The Cambridge Diet
A very low-calorie diet (VLCD) known as the Cambridge Diet limits daily calorie consumption to between 600 and 800. This kind of calorie restriction is done with the use of meal replacement products, which are nutritionally balanced and include all the necessary vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients.
Depending on the phase of the diet, the macronutrient composition of the Cambridge Diet changes, but generally contains a low-carbohydrate to high-protein ratio. As an illustration, Step 1 of the diet offers about 46 grammes of carbohydrates, 58 grammes of protein, and 11 grams of fat each day. This stage aims to trigger ketosis, a metabolic state where the body uses fat reserves as fuel.
Protein intake stays relatively high while carbohydrate and fat intake gradually rise as the dieter moves through the phases of the diet. With roughly 40% of calories coming from carbohydrates, 30% from protein, and 30% from fat at the diet’s final phase, the macronutrient composition is more similar to that of a balanced meal.
The Cambridge Diet’s calorie and macronutrient ratios are precisely calculated to guarantee that the dieter gets all the nutrients they need while still losing a lot of weight. It’s crucial to remember that this kind of caloric restriction should only be implemented with a doctor’s approval because it can be difficult to sustain and could be dangerous for some people.
Conclusion
A low-calorie weight loss regimen that has been around for more than three decades is called the Cambridge Diet. It entails ingesting meal replacements in place of regular meals, such as shakes, bars, soups, and snacks. The diet can be expensive and rigorous, but it is intended to cause quick weight loss and reset the body’s metabolism.
This Diet can be a rapid and efficient way to lose weight, but before beginning the diet, it’s crucial to think about any potential downsides, like the expense and certain dietary deficits. A healthcare professional should be consulted to ascertain whether the diet is secure and suitable for you.
FAQs
- How many calories do I consume on the Cambridge Diet?
Depending on the phase of the diet as well as personal needs and goals, the Cambridge Diet involves varying calorie intake. The target caloric intake during the weight loss phase is 400–800 calories per day, whereas the caloric intake is gradually raised throughout the stabilisation and maintenance stages.
- Can I eat any foods while on the Cambridge Diet?
The Cambridge Diet’s weight loss phase calls for the consumption of solely this Diet foods. Traditional foods are progressively reintroduced into the diet during the stabilisation and maintenance phases, however, the use of these Diet products is advised to support weight loss maintenance.
- How long does it take to lose weight on the Cambridge Diet?
The Cambridge Diet is intended to cause rapid weight loss, however, the amount of time it takes to lose weight differs from person to person. The length of the diet’s weight-loss phase varies from 6 to 12 weeks, depending on the needs and objectives of each person.
- Is the Cambridge Diet safe for long-term use?
The low-calorie intake during the weight loss phase of the Cambridge Diet may cause nutrient deficiencies and other health issues, thus it is not intended for long-term use. In order to maintain weight loss over the long term, it is important to reach a healthy weight and then adopt healthy habits.
- Is the Cambridge Diet suitable for vegetarians or vegans?
The Cambridge Diet’s meal replacement products come in vegetarian and vegan varieties, allowing people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet to tailor the diet to their needs.