FAQs

All teenagers should be encouraged to eat sensibly and exercise regularly to maintain a healthy weight. The 1:1 Diet is not suitable for children under 14, and only available for children over 14 with the approval of their GP and support of a parent or guardian who must attend all consultations. For dieters between 14 and under 18, a structured diet of 1000kcal, 1200kcal or 1500 kcal/day will usually be recommended. Only in very rare Circumstances, an 800 kcal/day diet may be recommended with GP approval.

Yes. It’s a good idea to start reducing your food intake, particularly carbohydrates, the week before you start dieting. This will help prevent carbohydrate withdrawal headaches, which can speed up the onset of ketosis, which may reduce cravings. You should also increase the amount of water you drink to 1.7 litres a day. If you ever been constipated, taking some natural fibre might help. Check with your GP if necessary.

On The 1:1 Diet, you’ll think long term, right from the start. Our aim is not just to help you lose weight, but to keep it off for good. For successful long-term weight management, you’ll need to make long-term and permanent changes to your lifestyle and diet. Your Consultant will help you to understand these changes early on and support you in building a whole new relationship with food.

When you reach your desired weight, you need to maintain the good habits that have got you there. Go back to bad eating habits, and the weight you’ve lost will inevitably pile back on. Your Consultant will help you find a diet and routine to keep your weight stable.

If you are starting The 1:1 Diet with Sole Source, you should only do some gentle walking for the first couple of weeks. This will allow your body to adjust to its new calorie intake. After that, you can start building more exercise into your day. How much exercise you take depends on a number of factors: your diet, any medical conditions or medication, fitness, age, lifestyle, and level of current activity. Physical activity is an important part of every weight loss journey, and key to long-term weight management. If you want to do rigorous exercise at the gym or you are in training for a sports event, you need to be on a diet of 1000kcal or more.

In general, yes, it’s fine to drink coffee. Coffee may have an influence on your blood sugar, but it won’t prevent you losing weight. In fact, some research even suggests that it may have some beneficial effects on the liver and your metabolism. However, obviously drinking coffee with milk and/or sugar increases calorie intake and so if you intend to add milk or sugar, this should be discussed with your Consultant.

Yes. Our products provide all your essential daily nutrients to keep your body well nourished. It is very important that you eat all of your meals.

If any of the following descriptions sound like you, you will NOT be able to follow The 1:1 Diet:

• Your BMI is below 20
• You are under 14 years of age
• You have had a heart attack or stroke in the past 3 months
• You are taking prescribed monoamine oxidase inhibitor medication
• You are taking anti-obesity medication
• You are a substance misuser or dependent on alcohol
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding or have given birth in the past 3 months.

For anyone else, a Consultant is best placed to tell you if the diet is suitable. Find a Consultant.

All The 1:1 Diet products have been formulated by expert nutritionists and studied by independent scientists, in multiple clinical trials, to prove their efficacy and safety. They provide all the vitamins and minerals your body needs and they’re tasty too!

You’ll pay from $5 a meal, so it’s cheaper and a whole lot better for you that an average meal deal. And yes, that includes your weekly one-to-one consultation!

The 1:1 Diet works by balancing replacement products – shakes, soups, meals, bars, and snacks – with normal everyday food. You can start with all meal replacement products – it makes life a lot easier because you don’t have to go food shopping, face temptation OR count calories. Then gradually, your meal replacement products are swapped for everyday food so you can get back to normal and keep the weight off.

When the original Cambridge Weight Plan was developed, a vast amount of research went into ensuring that the diet provided the right amount of protein and carbohydrate to minimise the loss of lean body tissue.

Any woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding or who has given birth in the last three months cannot use The 1:1 Diet. Pregnant and lactating women require increased levels of protein and energy and are advised to follow a diet rich in lean protein, whole grains, fresh fruit, and vegetables. In pregnancy, care must be taken not to exceed intakes of some micro-nutrients. Current guidelines advise against taking extra vitamin A, which is present in all of our products. If you are pregnant, congratulations! We wish you all the very best with your pregnancy and perhaps we’ll hear from you again once your bundle of joy is here.

Don’t worry, The 1:1 Diet is suitable for anyone with thyroid function complaints. Speak to your Consultant who will be able to advise you further.

Bad breath can occur and is often made worse by not drinking enough fluid. But we have some tips and tricks for you, just use a mouthwash, carry a mouth spray with you or drink some water. Your breath will soon be fresh again.

This is almost certainly due to a reduced thermogenic response to a reduced food intake. Large meals cause the body to generate a lot of body heat, while smaller meals produce less heat. Individuals differ widely in their thermogenic response. Your hands and feet may feel particularly cold, brrr… but this is a completely normal response. Your body is just trying to conserve heat and energy due to the reduced calorie intake. Other factors that influence body heat production include the slight reduction in metabolic rate, which always happens during weight loss and, of course, the loss of insulating fat! Don’t worry though, if you are sensitive to the cold try moving around a little more and be sure to wrap up warmly – many light layers are more effective than a single heavy layer.

Less frequent bowel movements may occur because The 1:1 Diet products are not as bulky as normal food. But to tackle this, keep well hydrated and drink at least 2.25 litres of water daily in addition to the water used to mix your products. If you have previously suffered with constipation, let your Consultant know before you start. We’ve got you covered, psyllium husk can be added to your shakes from day one and this may help avoid constipation.

You may get some leg cramps in the initial stages of Step 1; they are caused by the increased movement of fluid in the body’s tissues as water shifts and your sodium levels change. If you are still struggling please consult your GP or pharmacist. Don’t forget your Consultant will be able to advise you further on this.

We are sorry to hear this, but don’t worry, this is usually a minor problem and should last for only a short time. Some people are not used to the mineral content in The 1:1 Diet Products. Therefore, it is a good idea to drink an extra glass of water at the same time as having a The 1:1 Diet Products. Here’s some advice from us: Take The 1:1 Diet products in the form of half portions initially to dilute the mineral intake. Another possible cause of continued diarrhoea is lactose intolerance. Some people cannot digest the lactose in milk products and diarrhoea can occur. To ensure you don’t have to miss out, we have a range of lactose-free products that could be used instead. If you have diarrhoea, which has lasted longer than the first few days of the Plan, you should seek medical advice from your GP.

Hair loss can be linked with weight loss. The thinning of hair and hair loss can occur during and sometimes after the weight loss phase. But weight loss is not the only reason for hair thinning and we would therefore recommend you seek medical advice from your GP if you are concerned.

Got a sore head? You may be experiencing carbohydrate or caffeine withdrawals and therefore develop a headache. This is a temporary side effect and if you can, you might need to grin and bear it. Drinking the recommended amount of water can help, as your headache may be caused by dehydration. Failing this, a simple painkiller such as paracetamol can help.

Hormone levels fluctuate when there are changes in weight – particularly in women. Rapid weight loss may temporarily affect the menstrual cycle. Ovulation, however, is probably not interrupted. To go into detail, in most cases the menstrual cycle remains unchanged but for some women breakthrough bleeding or heavier periods may occur. Others may find that their periods stop for a while. Fertility may also be affected, and unexpected pregnancies have been known to occur, therefore if you have been trying unsuccessfully to become pregnant, you need to be aware that during and after weight loss, fertility may increase. The metabolism of hormonal contraceptives may be affected during effective weight loss and so we recommend additional methods of contraception if you do not wish to fall pregnant while on a program. .

Some people are more sensitive to the high concentration of minerals and vitamins in the products, and therefore my feel a little queasy, but that’s nothing that a glass full of H20 can’t fix. Another option would be to have your 1:1 Diet products as 6/8 half portions per day, rather than 3/4 full portions, as this would help to split the mineral content you have each time.

Skin rashes can be caused by any number of things. However, just occasionally, there may be something in the formula of The 1:1 Diet products to which someone has an allergic reaction to. If a rash occurs while using The 1:1 Diet you should stop the Plan straight away. If the rash fails to settle or progresses, then seek medical advice. When the rash has gone down, if you wish to restart The 1:1 Diet then seek advice from your Consultant on how to do this. Food allergies should be properly investigated, and allergen-free diets should be based on sound scientific tests.