Dieting dilemmas: Forever Living Clean 9 cleanse vs Cambridge Diet
There are so many different weight-loss plans available it can be hard to pick the one that's best for you. Woman tries out a couple...
Quick but tough:
Forever Living's Clean 9 is essentially a cleanse, but most people I know have done it because of the rapid weight loss you can achieve in just nine days.
You'll eat very little during the programme, but this is supplemented with the signature aloe vera gel, shakes and tablets.
The first two days are the hardest, you won't eat any solid food and the hunger can be really difficult, so make sure you keep yourself busy. But from day three, when you get an extra shake and 600 calorie meal, it gets much easier.
The kit is priced just under £110, but for that you get two bottles of Forever Aloe Vera Gel, shake mix, supplement tablets, a shaker, a tape measure and a booklet for recording your progress. It also includes menu ideas for meals of 600 calories and explains the 'free foods' element of the cleanse – a variety of fruit and vegetables which can be eaten in moderation.
To kick things off on day one I took my measurements and weighed myself.
The aloe vera gel really doesn't taste very nice, but you will get used to it. The Forever Fiber sachet – a diluted drink – won't cure the hunger pangs. By lunchtime the vanilla shake tasted like the best thing in the world. An afternoon of nothing but the tablet supplements and I was really struggling. I chose a brisk walk for my 30 minutes of exercise and was shattered. Day two was much the same and I found I was quite lethargic.
Once the first two days were out of the way, the rest of the cleanse was much more manageable.
The morning shake really staved off the hunger pangs and by the time I got to my evening meal, I found that 600 calories seemed an awful lot after eating very little, and I could barely finish a whole portion without feeling full. I also upped my exercise doing longer walks and higher impact fitness DVDs.
By the end of the cleanse I had lost 7lbs and seven-and-a-half inches from my body. It's the toughest cleanse/weight-loss challenge I have ever taken on, but the results are impressive. Just be careful that you don't pile on the pounds as soon as you've finished.
The Clean 9 kit is priced £108.95. Buy it online through Forever Business Owner Diane Sealey at getupandgo.myforever.biz/store
A big challenge:
It's that time of year again... You've pigged out during the festive period, you're having to face that far fuller figure in the mirror and the weather won't allow you to hide those lumps and bumps under layers of clothing for long. It's time to take action.
If you're like me and don't have much patience or self control The Cambridge Diet is ideal. Losing weight is never easy – especially not when you're looking to lose more than a stone – but for me, the biggest challenge is the frustration of slow weight loss.
I get bored, make exceptions and, sooner or later, end up giving up all together. The efficiency of the Cambridge Diet – which sees most lose five pounds in the first week – eliminates this vicious circle.
The first time I ever went on the plan, I went down from a size 16 to a small size eight. And the difference in my self confidence was unbelievable. Weight shouldn't make that much difference to your inner peace – but for me, it changed everything.
The Cambridge Diet is a shake-based diet, with the option of the shakes, soups or porridges three times a day. This provides a measly 400 calories (give or take) per day – so it's no walk in the park. But if you stick to the plan rigidly, drink four pints of water a day and DO NOT exercise, by the fourth day your body adjusts and you no longer feel famished.
Due to the low amount of calories you consume, it forces your system into a state of ketosis, meaning the body burns its own fat reserves. But if you cheat you may kick yourself out of ketosis, slowing the weight loss and making those hunger pangs return.
Throughout the diet, you must have a consultant – which can be found on the Cambridge Diet website – who will measure and weigh you on a weekly basis, as well as providing you with shakes. There's loads of different flavours, so there's plenty to choose from. After two weeks you're also allowed to move on to bars which, for me, after two weeks of just having liquids, are a must.
My consultant was Julie Witton find her contact details at www.cambridgeweightplan.com. The diet plan described above is Sole Source, which costs around £40 per week. Visit www.cambridgeweightplan.com
