Since we are a small group here, I thought this may be a good place to try an experiment. I'm directing it at those of you who have struggled both mentally and physically to stick to Cambridge and make the progress you want.
I've been doing a lot of studying about metabolism, the effects of very low calorie diets, dietary fat, etc. Over the years I have given advice to my customers that doesn't always jive with what the company recommends of adding fruits (sugar) and other low fat options. This is going to be one of those times.
One of the main roadblocks I've seen over the years, is people being unable to mentally overcome the sense of deprivation they feel while sticking to Cambridge, especially SS. Though I've always said this does not require perfection to succeed, most of us naturally fall in to the "all or nothing" kind of thinking, which only sets us up for failure most of the time. Those who try adding a low fat/low calorie meal of lean protein and veg, often find it to be unsatisfying and it only ends up stimulating their appetite.
Current research now has proven that dietary fat is NOT the cause of obesity, vascular disease, heart disease, or diabetes. Sugar/carbohydrate is. Carbohydrate intake directly influences insulin levels and insulin is the fat storing hormone. By keeping our insulin levels continuously elevated as our current lifestyle does, we are telling our body to not burn body fat, but to continue to store more and more. We eventually become insulin resistant and we begin to suffer all the health problems that go with it such as obesity, diabetes, PCOS, metabolic disorder, some cancers, etc. Fat is not the enemy we were taught to believe. Sugars, grains, and heavy carbohydrate, low fat diets are. So here's my idea for those who are willing to give it a go.
1) Continue to have your daily Cambridge servings, 3 times a day. This puts you in a modified fasting state and ketosis will begin which will have the effect of lowering your insulin levels. Ketosis is when your body has depleted your stored sugar, or glycogen, and your body then has to convert over to using body fat for energy and creating ketones which your brain loves to run on.
2) 3 times a week, say..Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, add a meal made of predominantly fats. Now don't freak out at this! There is science behind it so hang in there with me. I do not want you to count calories for this meal. . Make it consist of whole eggs, avocado, olives, butter...even bacon. You can have a small amount of greens like spinach or kale, but it must be cooked in a fat. Do not gorge on these foods. Just eat to satiety and then stop. The hormone Leptin will let you know when that is. Then..go back to your normal SS Cambridge on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
What are the reasons for this?
Mentally, this will give you the comfort knowing that you have meals to look forward to. The anxiety and sadness of grieving for food will be eliminated. For those who have more then 20 lbs to lose, this is important. I remember feeling the anxiety and sadness of not having food to enjoy. I felt the wonderful benefits of Ketosis and not being in a constantly "fed state", but my biggest struggles were not with physical hunger...mostly mental.
Dietary fat will not disrupt ketosis. In fact, it will enhance it. Your body is always burning either sugar from all the carbohydrates you eat and what you have stored in the liver and various other places, or it is burning fat. It can't do both at the same time. It also gives a feeling of satiety without requiring filling the stomach to capacity like carbohydrate and proteins do. People who are obese have high levels of the hormone leptin. The main function of leptin is to send a signal telling your brain how much fat is stored in your body's fat cells. It's purpose is to signal the brain when you are starving or overfed, basically that you have enough fat stores and to stop eating. In those who are obese, the leptin signal isn't working due to a condition known as leptin resistance. The message is not getting through and the brain keeps thinking the body needs feeding. Leptin resistance can cause hunger and reduce the amount of energy you burn. Our highly inflammatory western diets of processed foods and high grain/sugar can be a major contributor to this problem and this is why we are seeing more and more of our children with Type 2 diabetes and other diseases that used to only be seen in the elderly.
Ok...any takers? I'm thinking a month to see how it goes. You certainly can quit any time you want, but to give it a good chance and give your body the time it needs to adjust to this new system, I think a month sounds good.
My goal is to get you all to YOUR goal. This may or may not be the key to getting there, but I think it's worth a try. Comment below or contact me directly if you have any questions or thoughts on it.
I'm heading out to Louisiana and will be back on March 10th. I would love to gear it up after the food fest in New Orleans. I know I will need to get back to the basics when I return (God willing).
I agree with everything you have stated. Regrettably, the fast-food and processed food industry would like that information to remain a secret.
Over the past few months, my knees are pain-free. I can get around better. I feel better and folks say I look better. I am all in!!
Re: Sounds great!!
Posted by Pam T on 2/26/2019, 11:52 pm, in reply to "Sounds great!!"
So glad to hear your pain is gone! Great news!!
I feel optimistic about this "experiment". There are real health benefits to fasting and Cambridge was very early to the party in the research they did all those years ago when studying and developing a very low calorie modified fast that resulted in The Cambridge Diet. But we know so much more now and I think it can work just as well with all the current research, finally putting to rest the falsified study done regarding dietary fats and and their effects on health. I think this just may be a perfect combo.
We owe a debt of gratitude....
Posted by Yvonne on 2/27/2019, 10:13 am, in reply to "Re: Sounds great!!"
to Dr. Alan N. Howard, PhD in the United Kingdom, who did the early research and discovered that all a body needs is the macronutrients and the micronutrients in a delivery system that is very low calorie and palatable. He was so right!! After reading his research in the 1980s and his cited references, I became a believer and a follower of Cambridge diet and I have never looked back or been dissuaded with the counterarguments against his conclusions.
But, change is uncomfortable and the trillion dollar food industry is against all of us. Can you imagine if everyone stopped eating fast-food? OMG!!
Well, I've done my part. Other then a few drive thru meals when my daughter was going through her radiation treatments, we never eat fast food. Haven't for years. I prepare everything we eat and we never use convenience foods. We eat super simply and it works for us. I'm pretty certain that if I did eat a standard fast food meal it would make me sick.
I would like to keep track of you while you are following this plan. If you want to stop at any point, that's fine too. Just let me know. It would be helpful if you record your beginning measurements. If you have one of those scales that measures fat, water, and muscle, that is a bonus, but not necessary. Scale weight is useful, but doesn't tell the whole story without those breakdowns. I would like you to pay attention to your emotional/mental well-being too.
Do you have any questions? I appreciate you doing this.
HI Pam sorry just getting back to you ..I teach high school and its been crazy! yes would like to do this ordering tonight more Cambridge let me know when to start this Thank you!
. Make it consist of whole eggs, avocado, olives, butter...even bacon. You can have a small amount of greens like spinach or kale, but it must be cooked in a fat. Do not gorge on these foods. Just eat to satiety and then stop. The hormone Leptin will let you know when that is. Then..go back to your normal SS Cambridge on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. 