Cambridge Diet part II

Kittikins

Thanks Hamish, I know I'm being daft! I'll look forward to the lovely surprise on Monday morning and will fight hard to not lapse in the face of home cooking....

OoBooBeeDoo

Hi guys :wave: - just wading my way through parts 1 and 2 of this thread...so bear with me!! Also am not a newbie.....just don't wish to be judged/given advice by well-meaning friends at the moment!!

Right - potted history - been overweight all my life. First diet at 16...tried CD at about 19 whilst at college over 20 years ago...lost 2 or 3 stone but had a very bad ( and lifelong, possibly) effect on my bowels (sorry - TMI:o) Anyhoo - all went back on...and then some...cos on i didn't learn anything so next 20 years or so...constant dieting. Nothing extreme..WW/SW/Calorie Counting/gym. Lowest weight 9 1/2 stone (after a messy break-up)

11 months ago...gave up smoking. Gained 21lbs to go up to my heaviest ever of 16 1/2 stone:eek:. Decided 8 months ago to try Atkins/low carb. Lost the 21lbs I gained.....but have stalled for the last 3 months at my pre-giving-up-smoking weight of just under 15 stone (are you still with me :rotfl::rotfl:)

So - now I figure it just ain't working any more and I need to shift up a gear. I got a stomach bug 2 weks ago and didn't eat for about 5 days then went up to about 1200 cals a day (still low carb) and have only lost 2lbs in the 2 weeks...not a lot really, considering my average over the 14 days...)

Am trying to write this in a light hearted way....but I am at the end of my tether. My weight/diet has become a total obsession and I am driving myself and my OH mad. People at work know what I am doing and are assuming I come home and scoff chips and chocolate every night cos i am just not losing weight. I have honestly stuck to it 100% - though I do know weight loss will be slower cos I have a problem doing much excersise because of a back problem. It (me) has become a bit of a joke. I have no problem having shakes at work - they just roll their eyes at my food choices anyway - but feel so sorry for my OH who often feels guilty eating in front of me I would maybe like to have an evening meal?? (He eats about 4000 calories a day and is skinny as a rake...does no excersise and sometimes I hate him:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:)

What do you guys think....would this work after Atkins/calorie restriction for so long?? Lots of what I have read on other diet forums involves people who have come to this after having a very unhealthy diet of takeaways and ready meals....I've eaten 'healthy' meals for years .....just too much of them and in the past always accompanied by too much wine :rotfl::rotfl:

I'd really value your opinions.....:)

ciderwithrosie_2

Hi OoBooBeeDoo

I've done both low-carb and Cambridge, as well as most other diets going. I don't have any problems losing weight luckily, just keeping motivated and more importantly keeping it off. I've low-carbed on and off for the last 8 years but have trouble sticking to it for any length of time. So 17 months ago I switched to Cambridge and lost 8 stone in 9 months. A few problems in my personal life and I gained back over half of that in 7 months. I've been back on it a month now and have lost 2st 2lbs. If you're happy low-carbing maybe you should stick with it a bit longer, a 3 month stall isn't unheard of tbh, have you measured to see if you've lost any inches? I'd be interested if you could post up a typical day's menu for you, you never know, I might be able to suggest something. Have you always watched the calories whilst doing LC? or is this just recent to try and break your stall.

regards CWR

Kittikins

hi everyone, guess what......I'm lapsing Had a trapped nerve in my back yesterday and had to take mega strong painkillers which made me mega queasy with even 2 packs inside me The back is nearly better today but I'm going to take the drugs until tonight and see if I can get back on the waggon tomorrow and off the drugs. I am so fed up! And am trying my hardest not to eat everything in sight, so far so good(ish)

I really feel like my body hates me! I'm trying so hard to do right by myself, by losing weight and it reacts like this, scaring DD as I was screaming in pain most of the day, and of course causing me the s*dding pain.

I'm wondering if I keep on having these horrendous episodes because my body can't cope with the speedy physical changes caused by losing weight so quickly; after all I've lost 21lb in a week and a half?!? I don't know who to talk to who will give me an honest, unbiased opinion. The LL counsellor will just see it as an excuse to give up, a doctor who is anti-LL will say I have to stop doing the crazy diet, so I'm a bit lost, but don't want to keep being in pain!

However, I have to lose another 4 stone to be healthy and want rid of it asap as I dont want it hanging on to me for much longer. *sigh*

br33ni

Hey all,

Kittikins, I would stick with the diet still but move plans when you need to take tablets! I had to phone my CDC last nigbht cause I was writhing in agony with all the medication I am on! With the amount of steroids I am on and really strong antibiotics due to my lungs being really bad. I feel so drained of energyu and was nearly in tears with my stomach as there wasn't enough food to compensate for them. My counciller was slightly concerned and has told me to move up to the stage 3 1000 calorie program. She says I will still loose weight on it but not as much and the way I see it I will hopefully get better quickly and not be in so much pain.:(

Last night after eating felt odd. I felt like I had stuffed myself but still stuck to the 300 calorie meal. It would have probably felt nicer if I coiuld taste it properly but With this infection Ihave lost all taste and smells. Well I spose it is preventing me from eating everything in site! I felt so hungry when I woke this morning which was a first for me in the last 3 weeks. I'm hoping to get this infection out of my system so I can go back down to sole source I just hope I wont get too used to eating again and have to go through the headaches and everything when I change plans again, although I am trying to limit all carbs still. Oh well I guess I will have to see how it goes. My OH is being really supportive, he made me call the CDC last night as he was worried and is making me stick to the stage 3 properly and helping me calorie count everything. It really helps to have someone so supportive to what I am trying to do.:o

I hope everyone else is doing well. :A

OoBooBeeDoo

ciderwithrosie wrote: »

I'd be interested if you could post up a typical day's menu for you, you never know, I might be able to suggest something. Have you always watched the calories whilst doing LC? or is this just recent to try and break your stall.

regards CWR

Cheers for this CWR - and congrats on your weight loss - overall your loss is fantastic and it looks as if you are back on the right road - good for you and keep at it!!

I have tried upping/lowering carbs throughout the last 8 months (form original 10 nc's a day up to 30) and calories (between 1400 and 1900) - remaining constsitent for a few weeks after a change. Never managed any kind of consistent loss of pounds or inches.

Was on 1900 cals over christmas - gained 5lb. Went down to 1500 for the next few weeks and only lost 3 of those pounds. Hence the lower cals at the moment following the bug and thoughts of trying CD/similar:o

Typical day at the minute on 1200 cals would be tuna in springwater with full fat mayo for breakfast, chicken breast salad (green veg only) with EVOO dressing for lunch and soup with fish/pork/chicken for tea. Keeping at less than 20 net carbs - mostly in veg (salad/soup). Don't snack, keep the dairy low (oh, and how I love cheese so i sometimes stumble with htis one:cool:) and try not to eat any processed food or alcohol at all. 1400 cals would be pretty much the same but with more meat/fat. Try and keep the fat at 70% mostly - have used Fitday all along. Oh and I don't have much problem getting my water in - 2 - 3 litres usually.

Any ideas for breaking this soul-destroying stall?? I still have over 5 stone to lose....not as if I'm whinging about 10lbs:o

I've been given the advice to cut dairy/procedssed foods etc off the Atkins forum. Also to up/lower cals etc. Was haveing protein shakes and flax bread etc - but have cut them out too. Not much pleasure left in it now.

To be honest - I am disillusioned with it at the minute. I think 21lbs in 8 months is rubbish compared with what people on here are losing - given that I am 100% committed and very rarely eat off plan. Most people doing Atkins would have lost way more in 8 months too ....and certainly on CD etc. I'm thinking to do it for a few weeks for a weightloss 'boost' and then go back to low carbing as a kind of lifetime choice.

I appreciate you taking the time to reply - and thanks for listening to me rant:A

To all you lovely CD ers - I'm sorry to be wittering on about food - but be assured I have the greatest respect for you all and what you are doing and wish you all the very best whether I join you or not :A

ciderwithrosie_2

Thanks OoBooBeeDoo! I'm determined to shift this weight once and for all, I've got lots of lovely clothes I fitted into last year and want to get into again and my eye on a load more!! I've done an Excel graph and plotted my to date and projected progress. If I carry on at my present weightloss i can reach my goal by August - I did/do have heck of a lot to lose. I'm 45 now and I look at old fat ladies in the street and really don't want to be one of them, struggling to get about and loads of health problems, far too depressing!!

Well your diet looks pretty minimal and definitely low-carb to me, not sure you could tweak anything tbh. I was hoping you'd offer up some glaring 'no-nos' that would suggest why you've had slow weightloss and been stalling lately but I'm sorry to say I'm stumped Given that, I think you've nothing to lose (apart from weight hopefully) by giving Cambridge a go and see what happens.

regards CWR

ethansmum

Kittikins wrote: »

I'm occasionally being naughty and having 2 bars (currently using Te$co meal replacement ones) and am still losing fast, so I wouldn't necessarily think that bars = slowdown.

Things like time of the month, stress and just your body catching up with itself are all factors too.

Hi Kittikins- are these the ultraslim ones? What flavours would you recommend?

ethansmum

OObeedoobee- Sorry to hear that you are struggling. How about sharing with us your daily menu/exercise and water intake stats? Perhaps we could spot something to help you. Keep your chin up!

HEREWEGOAGAIN_2

Morning guys

Hope you all survived another weekend...well WI 7 didn't go very well....1lb.....:mad: i know i've had fantastic weight losses so far and no doubt it will hopefully (fingers crossed) show next week as a bigger loss, but its soooo hard to stay motivated only loosing 1lb and not eating diddlysquat !:o

Managed to survive going out and driving....just i might add....after the weigh-in i almost thought **** it lets have some vodka but I know i've promised myself i'll wait until my birthday.....day 50 for me today :j 12 days until my add a meal birthday weekend....can't wait !!!! i'm still craving chilli something chronic....i'm almost considering cooking up a batch and just having a 'little' with my salad - no pasta or anything, just the meat, to hopefully crush my cravings......dunno it could lead me down the downward spiral to naughtiness