Mom loses 126 pounds in 13 months with controversial Cambridge diet

Following a “nightmare” Christmas in 2020, UK mom Verity Bambury vowed to “sleigh” future holidays by prioritizing her health.

“With my sweet tooth, I couldn’t help but overindulge over the yuletide season. Surrounded by temptation, I went all out,” Bambury, 49, explained to SWNS.

The former university lecturer dropped 126 pounds in 13 months with the very low-calorie, controversial Cambridge diet, also known as the 1:1 diet. She ditched huge portions in favor of three replacement meals or snack bars and one low-calorie, high-protein meal a day.

Now, she’s landed a job assessing offshore oil rigs in the Irish Sea because she’s able to ride in helicopters.

“There is no way that I could have done any of this [126 pounds] heavier,” she shared.

The Liverpool mom, who has a son, says she’s always struggled with her weight — Christmas was especially tough.

Shopping by itself was a “nightmare,” as she became sweaty and out of breath.

“Baileys, After Eights, mince pies, trifle, Christmas pudding with brandy sauce — I loved it all,” Bambury recalled.

Bambury pledged that 2020 would be her last Christmas being overweight. She would start dieting in January 2021, along with many others who made a similar New Year’s resolution.

“I had tried dieting countless times. This time, though, I was determined to stick to it,” Bambury said. “But by April 2021, I’d reached rock bottom — and I knew my health was at risk.”

She chalked her problem up to “greed — I just didn’t know when to switch off.”

At her heaviest, Bambury weighed 299 pounds. She’s 5 feet, 5 inches tall.

She said she shed 11 pounds in her first week on the Cambridge diet and 28 pounds in the first month.

The extreme eating plan — developed in the 1960s — relies on the consumption of calorie-controlled products like shakes and soups.

Nutrition experts have long raised concerns about the safety of the diet, especially its “starvation-based” stages, with one nutrition coach telling Men’s Health UK in 2021 that it “should only be attempted under close supervision of a medical professional.”

“It’s not a sustainable, long-term or particularly healthy approach,” another nutritionist claimed to the outlet.

For her part, Bambury said she dropped weight fast on the “tough” diet.

But by December 2021, she worried about how to handle holiday temptations.

“I allowed myself a few tasty treats in moderation instead of [scarfing] a whole trifle. I just had a spoonful, and that was enough to satisfy me,” she shared.

She was able to slip into a slinky Size 16 glittery dress for Christmas.

More than two years later, Bambury has kept the pounds off. She now weighs around 175.

“I now love making Christmas memories with my son, Jarvis, shopping for festive outfits, and getting out for a Christmas Day walk instead of just vegging on the sofa stuffing my face,” Bambury enthused.

“I’ll never go back to the way I was,” she added.

Bambury has even trained as a 1:1 diet consultant — she aims to inspire others struggling with their weight through her brand one2oneVerity.

Before diet

Breakfast: Toast or sugary cereal

Lunch: Sandwich, chocolate bar and sugary drink

Dinner: Large portions of spaghetti bolognese with garlic bread, fajitas with cheese, or fast food

Snacks: Bourbon biscuits, chocolate bars, sweets

After diet

Breakfast: Fruit and yogurt

Lunch: Tuna salad

Dinner: Chicken with salad or roasted vegetables

Snacks: A low-calorie chocolate bar