THREE years and three stones since completing a super-duper kick-ass fitness challenge resulting in near-athlete levels of body fat, things had changed somewhat.
Don’t get me wrong, I’d had a most enjoyable time eating and drinking my head off in some of the finest places in Manchester and beyond, but whacking on a whopping two of those in less than 12 months was starting to feel shameful. That, combined with my PT partner deserting the city for suburbia meant the only move my exercise had taken was a nosedive to nothing and I was feeling fat.
There are six steps to the Cambridge Weight Plan and the level you start on is determined by your BMI. All steps incorporate Cambridge Weight Plan products and they’re in the form of a shake, soup, porridge or a bar.
Everything had increased. Portion size. Dress size. Time taken to choose an outfit for a night out. The day the wardrobe rail collapsed and I tried to blame-shift it to my other half taking more space. His response inferred it was due to the extra cloth in my clothes.
Cue the Cambridge Weight Plan.
I’d had it suggested to me by a friend of a friend who’d lost a lot of weight fast. Those magic words ‘lot’ and ‘fast’ piqued my interest. I’d had a few half-assed attempts at blitzing the bulge, generally embraced on a Monday and abandoned by the Thursday due to a lack of stunning results, so this sounded good to me.
The Cambridge Weight Plan is nothing new. With origins stretching back to the 50s and 60s, the regime as the finished product it is today has been on the market since the 80s.
A biochemist bod, Dr Alan Howard, took a keen interest in weight loss and obesity making it his mission to develop what he considered the ‘perfect diet’. This consisted of a ‘food formula’ with excellent weight loss properties but no undesirable side effects and was the first plan to offer meal replacements as an alternative to food.
The tick list was specific; enough protein to protect lean tissue, the right level of carbohydrates to promote mild ketosis and eliminate hunger and the required level of vitamins, minerals, trace elements and essential fatty acids.
There are six steps to the Cambridge Weight Plan and the level you start on is determined by your BMI. All steps incorporate Cambridge Weight Plan products and they’re in the form of a shake, soup, porridge or a bar.
Step 1 – Sole Source 440-555 kcal a day
No calorie counting or food groups to combine, no weighing and measuring and no books or recipes to follow. Instead there are just two simple, straightforward rules:
- - Eat three or four Cambridge Weight Plan products per day according to height/gender. Women below 5'8"/1.73m will have three Cambridge Weight Plan products per day. Women who are 5’ 8” and above will have four, as will men.
- - Drink 2.25 litres/4 pints of fluids over the course of the day. You can include tea and coffee, herbal teas and Cambridge water flavourings.
Sole Source Plus – 640kcal a day
Your daily allowance on Sole Source Plus will consist of:
Option A:
- - Either four Cambridge Weight Plan products (sachets, porridge, ready-made shakes, bars).
- - Plus 200ml of skimmed milk.
OR
Option B:
- - Three Cambridge Weight Plan products (sachets, porridge, ready-made shakes, bars). This is the same regardless of height or gender.
- - Plus one Sole Source Plus 200kcal meal.
- - Drink 2.25litres/4 pints of fluids over the course of the day. Again includes tea and coffee, herbal teas and Cambridge water flavourings.
Step 2 – 810kcal a day
On Step 2 you will:
- - Eat three Cambridge Weight Plan products each day.
- - Eat one portion of protein-rich food plus an 80g portion of vegetables per day. There’s a very specific list of various proteins and permitted greens eg. 245g skinless chicken breast with 80g of broccoli.
- - Drink 425ml (3/4 pint) of skimmed milk (can be added to tea and coffee).
- - Drink at least 2.25 litres/4 pints of fluids over the course of the day. Again includes tea and coffee, herbal teas and Cambridge water flavourings but also this time with the added allowance of occasional low-calorie / diet drinks, flavoured waters or squashes.
Step 2 Meal Options
Step 3 – 1000kcal a day
- - Eat two Cambridge Weight Plan products per day (this is essential).
- - Eat one 150kcal breakfast.
- - Drink 284ml (1/2 pint) of skimmed milk or eat 170g of low-fat yoghurt.
- - Eat a salad lunch and a 400kcal evening meal.
- - Drink at least 2.25 litres/4 pints of fluids over the course of the day. As per Step 2.
Step 4 – 1,200 kcal a day
On Step 4 you will:
- - Eat two Cambridge Weight Plan products per day.
- - Eat a breakfast of 150kcal or 250kcal.
- - Eat a lunch of 200kcal or 300kcal.
- - Eat a dinner and dessert of 370kcal per day.
- - Drink 284ml (1/2pint) of skimmed milk, which can be added to your tea and coffee.
- - Drink at least 2.25litres/4pints of fluids over the course of the day. As per step 2/3.
Step 5 – 1,500 kcal a day
On Step 5 you will:
- - Eat one Cambridge Weight Plan product per day (this is essential).
- - Eat one 300kcal breakfast.
- - Eat one 350kcal lunch plus a 100kcal portion of fruit.
- - Eat one 350kcal dinner and a 150kcal dessert.
- - Drink 425ml (¾ pint) of skimmed milk.
- - Drink at least 2.25 litres/4 pints of fluids over the course of the day. As per Step 2/3/4.
Step 6 – 1,500 kcal or more per day
When you’ve reached your target weight the aim now is to keep weight stable and avoid putting those pounds back on. Apparently the Cambridge consultant will provide advice on how to maintain this.
Prices vary between consultants but from mine they were as follows:
- - Milkshakes, Soups & Porridges £2 per sachet
- - Ready to drink tetra milkshakes £2.10 each
- - Bars £2.10 each
- - Water flavouring £6.95 per tub
The Cambridge consultant monitors the whole process very carefully. One-on-one weekly meetings are mandatory to check your BMI hasn’t dropped too low for the level you’re on.
Cambridge Consultation
I went to visit my very lovely, nominated consultant, Jemma, got weighed, measured, photographed and sentenced to Step 2. I’d psyched myself up for the 440 kcal but my BMI wasn’t high enough to do this, which was a relief I have to admit, though clocking in at 26.7 meant I fell midway into the overweight category.
Really that shouldn’t have been such a surprise but I’d needed that shot of truth in my cocktail of denial.
Armed with my sachets I set off on my journey...
Contact Jemma Smart to find out more on 07787 544 804
07787 544 804 or email on jem@smartweightloss.co.uk
Follow Helen on Twitter @helenrambo
