I have quite a few people e-mail me for tips on losing weight, so I though I would try and write a post about it. Please bear in mind that I'm not medically qualified and not a dietician, these are just things that have worked for me.
Unfortunately I don't have a secret that will help everyone to lose weight easily. The biggest thing I had was motivation. If you are losing weight because someone else tells you to, your heart won't be in it. Believe me I've tried countless times to lose weight, and have just gone along to clubs to accompany someone else. It just won't work. You need complete motivation. I'd finally come to realise that my weight was totally ruining my life. I'm getting older and there are so many things that I wanted to do and kept putting off because of my weight. That was all the motivation I needed, and until that "something" clicks in your own brain, no diet in the world is going to help. OK lecture over 
Now if I told you that I had a magic liquid and you drank it every day it would guarantee that you would lose weight, you would try it wouldn't you??? Well there is, it's called good old plain water. I don't care if you don't like it. I can't stand drinking it, but the difference in me losing weight is drinking at least 5 litres of water a day (6 for men). Everyone says to me "Oh I could never drink that amount". But if you HAD to, like I do, then you would just do it wouldn't you. I know this is a bit extreme, but if someone told you that drinking 4 - 5 litres of water a day would save your life, no matter how much you hated it, you would drink it. Try filling up litre bottles and just drinking through the day. I also find it easier to drink if its quite warm. I never drink it out of the fridge it takes my breath away and makes it more difficult to drink. The other good reason for water is, it hydrates your skin, and detoxes your body, so a side benefit is lovely skin 
I try to drink a litre every hour and early in the day or I spend all night in the bathroom. You will be running to the loo every few minutes at first, but remember this is the way that fat comes out of your body, so every time you go to the toilet imagine the pounds melting away 
Oh, and with all that water in your stomach there's less space for food 
Get a weight loss tracker. I enter mine into an excel spreadsheet every week, which keeps me motivated. (again if you want a copy e-mail me)
Try and get the support of your family. It doesn't help if everyone around you is eating pizza and chips and you've got cakes and crisps in the cupboard 
Take it one day at a time. One bad day does not ruin a diet!!
As soon as your clothes are too big GET RID OF THEM. You are never going to want them again are you?? When there are elasticated waists in your wardrobe it's too easy to pretend you're not putting on weight.
Weigh and measure yourself at least once a week. Preferably at the same time of day.
Specific Cambridge Tips
Soups and Shakes
Try every flavour of shake, soup and bar when you start the diet. Some you will love and some you will hate. I hate almost all of the shakes. I can just about stand them if they're cold, but hot makes me want to be sick 
Lots of people love hot shakes though, and it shows that everyones tastes are different. When you first try the shakes you will be able to taste a definite chemical taste. These are all the vitamins and after a while your body will get used to it and you won't be able to taste it at all.
I loooove the soups. I think its because it makes me feel like I'm eating a "proper" meal, so I have at least one soup a day. Don't worry if you don't like some at first, but always go back and try them again. I loved vegetable soup when I first started and now I can't stand it. You will find that your tastes change and something you loved at the beginning you begin to hate and vice versa.
To all of the soups I add either Tabasco sauce (not recommended by Cambridge), black pepper, curry powder or chili flakes. Or maybe a combination of all three if Im feeling daring. I like hot, spicy food and adding either or all of these flavouring gives the soups the bit of "kick" that I like.
I would also say to have the soup in a bowl and eat it with a spoon. If you have it in a cup and drink it, it's gone in no time.
Chocolate Bars
The Peanut and Cranberry bars are lower in carbs than the others and happen to be my favourites, as they're crunchy. The other bars are more chewy and you can make them into biscuits. Although I think this ruins a perfectly good chocolate bar.
Spacing your packs
I have a mug of hot water with either Berry flavouring or Orange with a chocolate bar for breakfast. I don't eat lunch. I have a soup around 6.30 while the family eat their dinner and then I make a mousse or have icecream later in the evening aroun 9-10pm. I'm not saying this is how to do it, but this is what works for me.
Variety
Now you might think that a liquid diet is boring, but you would be amazed at the things you can do with them I'm not going to post all of the recipes, just e-mail me if you want a copy. But my favourites are to make a chocolate pack into a muffin. Take around 3 quarters of a pack and mix into a very thick paste. Transfer to a muffin dish and zap in the microwave for around a minute (depending on your microwave). With the rest of the pack mix it with a little water to make a chocolate paste and spread on top of the muffin (my favourite) or mix with more water and put in the microwave to make a chocolate custard.
Use a soup pack to make crisps. Mix with water into a thick paste. I make one big crisp because I'm too lazy to make lots of little ones
Spread onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with chili flakes (if you want) make sure you spread it thinly and put in the microwave for around 5 minutes. If it's still bubbling in the middle its not ready. Let cool and then break into pieces.
Vanilla with a tiny bit of berry flavouring makes a lovely cheescake flavour ice-cream. Put in a blender with lots of ice and a bit of water (too much and you'll make a smoothie) and blend together. Eat with a spoon. Lovely
Tetras
Can't stand the banana ones, but love the chocolate ones.
Put a chocolate one in the freezer overnight. Cut out of the wrapper and then transfer to a bowl. Leave for around an hour to soften and you have lovely chocolate ice-cream which will take you ages to eat. The chocolate tetra also makes a much creamier mousse than a chocolate shake. Keep the tetra in the fridge until you are ready to make a mousse. Put in a blender and add one scoop of mix-a-mousse. Blend for at least a minute. Transfer to a LARGE mug (there will be lots of it). I like to put mine in the freezer for half an hour because it never seems "set" enough when I put it in the fridge.
Ketostix
Buy a pack of Ketostix. They're around £5 from the chemist. Your body needs to be in Ketosis to burn the fat off your body. Test first thing in the morning. Your stick should be a nice rosy pink. Too light and you're not in ketosis, too dark and you're dehydrated. I found these useful over Christmas. When I ate on Christmas day I was out of ketosis the next day and it took me 3 days to get back. That kept me on track!!
Nibbling
Don't even think about nibbling. Once you start and get away with it, it will be difficult to stop. You will learn when you do add-a-meal that by eating protein and no carbs your body stays in ketosis. This does not mean that you can pick at meat and fish etc. It's just easier not to start nibbling.
Drinks
If you are really craving something other than black coffee or water choose a drink without citric acid in. Citric acid knocks you out of ketosis. Dr Pepper Zero and Coke Zero are ok. Try to only drink occasionally.
Marigold Bouillon is a nice hot drink to have (not recommended by Cambridge). If I'm feeling really hungry a spoonful of this in hot water with a sprinkling of chili flakes does the trick
Hope that helps. If I think of anymore I shall update.
Sarah 
