After reading about potentially horrific experiences coming off the cleanse (sickness, diarrhea, pain, etc.), I anticipated some sort of "adjustment" period to get my digestive system back in gear again. This is what you are supposed to do:
Day 11: Drink fresh-squeezed orange juice only all day.
Day 12: Drink OJ in the am. Have vegetable soup (broth only!) in the afternoon.
Day 13: More OJ. More vegetable broth (vegetable allowed).
Day 14 and beyond: Eat normally with a bias toward healthy, vegetarian, raw.
Here's what I did:
Day 11: Drank fresh OJ all day until evening. Made a stellar vegetable soup and had broth in evening.
Day 12: Drank OJ in the am and interspersed throughout the day. Had a salad in the afternoon along with some fruit. Dinner was vegetable soup with vegetables.
Day 13: Ate normally.
I had no problems at all. No tummy issues. And here's the best part....
I FEEL FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My skin is absolutely glowing. I have gained back 3 pounds- but if that's the price I have to pay for this incredible amount of energy I feel, then so be it. My energy level is through the roof.
Most people I read about reported higher energy during the cleanse and this was simply not the case for me. I always felt pretty status quo and on the verge of fainting if I wasn't careful about getting up slowly (but I have low blood pressure and HR in general already).
Now that I am back to eating, I feel like a gazillion bucks. It's amazing.
This morning at the gym- I hadn't missed a beat. I felt stronger and leaner. What a great feeling.
If you're thinking about trying this cleanse, I say commit yourself and go for it!
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Post-Cleanse Scorebox
Days on Cleanse: 10
# lemons used: 61
# jars of maple syrup: 5
Total weight lost: 12 pounds
Total inches lost (chest, waist, hips, thighs, arms):
8.5 inches
Energy level before: 6
Energy level after: 8
# lemons used: 61
# jars of maple syrup: 5
Total weight lost: 12 pounds
Total inches lost (chest, waist, hips, thighs, arms):
8.5 inches
Energy level before: 6
Energy level after: 8
Day 10 - Everybody Was King Fu Fighting!
YAHOOOOOOOOOOO-EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY!!!!! I never thought this day would come.
Finally! It's my last freakin' day on these crazy lemons.
I woke up feeling great. Lost another pound. Went to the gym for a boxing workout. Had moderate energy, certainly not as weak as yesterday's run, but not as high as usual. To be expected. I've really leaned out in my tummy and arms and legs. If anything, it's great motivation to stick with a healthy program of smart eating and continued exercising.
Today I wore my skinny jeans and I wasn't struggling to breathe. (Always a plus.) I didn't drop any clothing sizes or anything crazy like that, but everything just fits a little better on me now.
I experienced cravings again in the evening, and as a result, more crankiness. It's times like these I believe it's best to just go to sleep.
So after watching TV for a bit, I hit the sack.
Finally! It's my last freakin' day on these crazy lemons.
I woke up feeling great. Lost another pound. Went to the gym for a boxing workout. Had moderate energy, certainly not as weak as yesterday's run, but not as high as usual. To be expected. I've really leaned out in my tummy and arms and legs. If anything, it's great motivation to stick with a healthy program of smart eating and continued exercising.
Today I wore my skinny jeans and I wasn't struggling to breathe. (Always a plus.) I didn't drop any clothing sizes or anything crazy like that, but everything just fits a little better on me now.
I experienced cravings again in the evening, and as a result, more crankiness. It's times like these I believe it's best to just go to sleep.
So after watching TV for a bit, I hit the sack.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Day 9 - Heartbreak Hill
Okay, I'm in the homestretch now. I got up and went for a run this morning. Man, it was tough. I was a lot weaker right out of the gate. I just didn't have the stamina and strength that I usually do. I plowed through it, huffing and puffing.. It was more of a slow jog than a run, really. I still covered my usual 3 miles, but, I'll be honest-- it was excruciating.
When I got home, my recovery was very slow. It took a good 10 minutes of rest before I could think about getting in the shower. I decided that run may have been a little too much for my in-shock body. I'm going to be more in tune with it during tomorrow's workout.
On a more positive note, my skin is looking fabulous. Smooth, clear, radiant :)
I ended the day with cravings again. It's always when I'm fixing dinner for the family. Having all that colorful food and yummy aromas around me makes it very difficult. Last night, all I wanted was a teeny tiny snippet of SOMETHING. Just something different to munch on and spit out. I even went to the pantry in search of something but alas, shut the door and fixed my lame-ass tea.
The cravings subsided and off I went to bed.
When I got home, my recovery was very slow. It took a good 10 minutes of rest before I could think about getting in the shower. I decided that run may have been a little too much for my in-shock body. I'm going to be more in tune with it during tomorrow's workout.
On a more positive note, my skin is looking fabulous. Smooth, clear, radiant :)
I ended the day with cravings again. It's always when I'm fixing dinner for the family. Having all that colorful food and yummy aromas around me makes it very difficult. Last night, all I wanted was a teeny tiny snippet of SOMETHING. Just something different to munch on and spit out. I even went to the pantry in search of something but alas, shut the door and fixed my lame-ass tea.
The cravings subsided and off I went to bed.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Day 8 - If I never have to see another lemon again..
Almost there... yet, still so far away. I awoke from a deep slumber at 4am with the crazy cramps again. Ugh. They are painful and probably worse just because I'm still half asleep. I'm so over all the bathroom runs.
Well, besides that, I did wake up feeling fine. I lost another pound for a total of 10 pounds. Big smiles. I do expect to gain half of it back, but I do believe my composition will be a lot better and healthier for it.
So, I'm really really really really tired of the lemonade. I think my juicer's even tired of all the lemons. And then of course, out of the blue my son asks if he can have a lemonade stand this weekend.. How random!
Anyway, the lemons. I switched to drinking everything through a straw which I should have done from the get-go. I feel like the lemon juice is eating away at my tooth enamel. And the tea is staining my teeth. I'm going to whiten after this is all over.
I am bored bored bored to death with this lemonade crap. I'm cranky.
I spent the evening going through cookbooks and finding new recipes to fix. It was the highlight of my day.
*sigh*
On to Day 9...
Well, besides that, I did wake up feeling fine. I lost another pound for a total of 10 pounds. Big smiles. I do expect to gain half of it back, but I do believe my composition will be a lot better and healthier for it.
So, I'm really really really really tired of the lemonade. I think my juicer's even tired of all the lemons. And then of course, out of the blue my son asks if he can have a lemonade stand this weekend.. How random!
Anyway, the lemons. I switched to drinking everything through a straw which I should have done from the get-go. I feel like the lemon juice is eating away at my tooth enamel. And the tea is staining my teeth. I'm going to whiten after this is all over.
I am bored bored bored to death with this lemonade crap. I'm cranky.
I spent the evening going through cookbooks and finding new recipes to fix. It was the highlight of my day.
*sigh*
On to Day 9...
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Day 7 - She chants chex like a champ chex mix chewer
I can't believe I've made it this far. I woke up feeling fine and hopeful that today brings more energy. My weight stayed the same. Yesterday I had zero BM's because I didn't take any tea the two times previous. I'll start back up today. Only 4 more days to go!
I went to the gym in the morning. No problems getting through. I'm thinking it's going to be a good day-- yay!
Had my drinks throughout the day. Felt fine.
At dinner, I did a bold thing. I decided to experiment with a new recipe for my family. I do not recommend this. Why? Because the meal looked so savory and tasty and smelled absolutely delicious and I couldn't even so much as lick the spoon. It was pure self torture. My family loved it. Grrrrr.
I went off and sipped my lemonade, which I am really getting sick of by now. After having my evening tea, I started to have my first real craving. Of all things, I was craving just one little rice chex Chex Mix Original Flavor. What the hell? How random. All I wanted was to just put one in my mouth and savor the flavor and crunch on just ONE! It was awful. My poor husband was ready to go out an buy me a bag.
Anyway, I managed to make it through without putting anything in my mouth. On to the next day.
I went to the gym in the morning. No problems getting through. I'm thinking it's going to be a good day-- yay!
Had my drinks throughout the day. Felt fine.
At dinner, I did a bold thing. I decided to experiment with a new recipe for my family. I do not recommend this. Why? Because the meal looked so savory and tasty and smelled absolutely delicious and I couldn't even so much as lick the spoon. It was pure self torture. My family loved it. Grrrrr.
I went off and sipped my lemonade, which I am really getting sick of by now. After having my evening tea, I started to have my first real craving. Of all things, I was craving just one little rice chex Chex Mix Original Flavor. What the hell? How random. All I wanted was to just put one in my mouth and savor the flavor and crunch on just ONE! It was awful. My poor husband was ready to go out an buy me a bag.
Anyway, I managed to make it through without putting anything in my mouth. On to the next day.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Day 6 - Over the Hump
Today was slightly better than yesterday. I skipped the morning tea again. (Yesterday's events really left an impression on me!)
I woke up with a headache and the sniffles. This was the first morning I didn't feel so great. My nose was running, but it wasn't like a cold.. it felt more like allergies. My mucous was clear but I had to blow my nose constantly- it kept running. Desperately wanting to take a Tylenol for my headache, I fought the urge off and thought going out to get some fresh air might help. By the way, I lost another 2 pounds.
Typically on Sundays, my husband and I take the kids out to the courts and we all hit balls for a couple hours. So, this was the plan. I made sure I had plenty to drink before heading out and we were off.
Yikes.
First of all, it's been incredibly hot out the past several days. Normally, I love this. But not when I'm cranky, starving, and weak. Not a good combo- no. So, we're out there in crazy heat. I hit for about 15 minutes and am feeling winded, weak, and sick to my stomach. I stop to catch my breath while the kids hit with 'A'. I felt like I had a pit in my stomach. It was kind of painful and after another 15 minutes, I decided to try one more time- kmowing it wasn't going to be any better.
This time we hit for about 5 minutes before I had to call it quits. I had NO ENERGY. I sat in the shade and waited for the kids to finish up before we headed home and I drank another drink.
By this time, luckily, my headache had gone away, but I still felt pretty tired. I wanted to just fight through it so after rejuvenating (if you can call it that), I went out on an errand to pick up some list items from Costco.
I felt okay, not great. Still weak, but not unmanageable. After returning home, I had 2 more drinks and decided to give in and take a nap.
An hour later...
Woke up feeling better. Drank 2 more drinks and fixed dinner for the family.
I think the past 2 days have been particularly hard also, because it's been the weekend and I've had to watch my family eat 3 meals a day instead of mostly just 1. We've been stopping to get ice cream and snacks.. Shopping at Costco was torturous with all the samplers giving away tastes. Tonight I made salmon with brown rice and vegetables for the family and the delicious smell that has enveloped the house is almost unbearable. I want to eat my hand.
I'm still not feeling "hungry" per se, but I just want to have something in my mouth for crying out loud! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh! Several times today, I thought about quitting. It was really really hard thinking about 4 more days of this liquid diet. I know it's cleaning me out and boosting my health, but I want to eat!!!!!!
Okay, a moment of weakness. Tomorrow I am back to work and hopefully, the last 4 days will fly by.
I woke up with a headache and the sniffles. This was the first morning I didn't feel so great. My nose was running, but it wasn't like a cold.. it felt more like allergies. My mucous was clear but I had to blow my nose constantly- it kept running. Desperately wanting to take a Tylenol for my headache, I fought the urge off and thought going out to get some fresh air might help. By the way, I lost another 2 pounds.
Typically on Sundays, my husband and I take the kids out to the courts and we all hit balls for a couple hours. So, this was the plan. I made sure I had plenty to drink before heading out and we were off.
Yikes.
First of all, it's been incredibly hot out the past several days. Normally, I love this. But not when I'm cranky, starving, and weak. Not a good combo- no. So, we're out there in crazy heat. I hit for about 15 minutes and am feeling winded, weak, and sick to my stomach. I stop to catch my breath while the kids hit with 'A'. I felt like I had a pit in my stomach. It was kind of painful and after another 15 minutes, I decided to try one more time- kmowing it wasn't going to be any better.
This time we hit for about 5 minutes before I had to call it quits. I had NO ENERGY. I sat in the shade and waited for the kids to finish up before we headed home and I drank another drink.
By this time, luckily, my headache had gone away, but I still felt pretty tired. I wanted to just fight through it so after rejuvenating (if you can call it that), I went out on an errand to pick up some list items from Costco.
I felt okay, not great. Still weak, but not unmanageable. After returning home, I had 2 more drinks and decided to give in and take a nap.
An hour later...
Woke up feeling better. Drank 2 more drinks and fixed dinner for the family.
I think the past 2 days have been particularly hard also, because it's been the weekend and I've had to watch my family eat 3 meals a day instead of mostly just 1. We've been stopping to get ice cream and snacks.. Shopping at Costco was torturous with all the samplers giving away tastes. Tonight I made salmon with brown rice and vegetables for the family and the delicious smell that has enveloped the house is almost unbearable. I want to eat my hand.
I'm still not feeling "hungry" per se, but I just want to have something in my mouth for crying out loud! Aaaaaaaaaahhhhh! Several times today, I thought about quitting. It was really really hard thinking about 4 more days of this liquid diet. I know it's cleaning me out and boosting my health, but I want to eat!!!!!!
Okay, a moment of weakness. Tomorrow I am back to work and hopefully, the last 4 days will fly by.
Day 5 - A Healing Crisis?
Okay, other than Day 1, it's been pretty much smooth sailing.... Until today.
Ugh. Today was a very very rough day. I woke up fine and did everything the same in the morning. Lost 1 pound. No workout this time, it being Saturday and we had all sorts of family events planned. Everything went without a hitch until about 1:00pm.
Man, oh man. My insides were WRENCHED. ANGRY. GURGLING. For the next 5 hours, I planted myself on the toilet on and off. It was awful. I was tired, weak, and in pain. Did I steep my laxative tea too much? Perhaps, though I don't believe so.
I don't know what caused such extreme cramps, but it was quite an experience. I lacked energy all day. I was BEAT.
Needless to say, I made the executive decision to skip the night's tea and give myself a much-needed break from it all.
Whew.
Ugh. Today was a very very rough day. I woke up fine and did everything the same in the morning. Lost 1 pound. No workout this time, it being Saturday and we had all sorts of family events planned. Everything went without a hitch until about 1:00pm.
Man, oh man. My insides were WRENCHED. ANGRY. GURGLING. For the next 5 hours, I planted myself on the toilet on and off. It was awful. I was tired, weak, and in pain. Did I steep my laxative tea too much? Perhaps, though I don't believe so.
I don't know what caused such extreme cramps, but it was quite an experience. I lacked energy all day. I was BEAT.
Needless to say, I made the executive decision to skip the night's tea and give myself a much-needed break from it all.
Whew.
Day 4 - Mucous Puke-ous
Ewww- yuck! I was awakened abruptly at 4am this morning with a very angry, gurgling belly. I was resident in the bathroom for a full 30 minutes passing nothing but icky, nasty mucous. So gross. I did feel better afterwards, but sheesh- what a trip.
At 7am, I woke up feeling great. No issues. For the first time ever, I relish hopping on the scale. Found that I'd lost 2 more pounds- yay!
I had my morning tea and first drink to start off the day.
This morning I went to the gym to get in a workout. Cardio strength training. It was a tough workout as usual, but I didn't have any problems getting through it.
Throughout the day I managed to drink a total of 6 glasses of lemonade. I have found it hard to get in much more than that for some reason. I ended with my tea and called it a night.
Overall, another great day!
At 7am, I woke up feeling great. No issues. For the first time ever, I relish hopping on the scale. Found that I'd lost 2 more pounds- yay!
I had my morning tea and first drink to start off the day.
This morning I went to the gym to get in a workout. Cardio strength training. It was a tough workout as usual, but I didn't have any problems getting through it.
Throughout the day I managed to drink a total of 6 glasses of lemonade. I have found it hard to get in much more than that for some reason. I ended with my tea and called it a night.
Overall, another great day!
Friday, June 20, 2008
Day 3 - The Incredible Shrinking Tummy
7:20am - Woke up feeling great. Tummy looks flatter-- very very happy about that. Got on the scale... Lost another pound! Woo hoo!!!!
Had my morning tea and first drink.
This was a very easy day. I had heard that Day 3 was generally a bad day for most, so I was pleasantly surprised that this day was not such for me. Whew!
9:45am - Drink #2
12:00pm - Drink #3
2:00pm - Not hungry, but feel like I want to MUNCH on something! Luckily, these urges do not last long at all as I have zero tolerance for self-torture when it comes to food. That may sound crazy since I'm doing this cleanse thing, but it really hasn't been nearly as difficult as I anticipated.
3:00pm - Drink #4
5:30pm - Drink #5. Status quo.
Evening tea. Bed.
I was supposed to have at least 6 drinks and realize I only had 5... Not good. Will have to watch that tomorrow.
Had my morning tea and first drink.
This was a very easy day. I had heard that Day 3 was generally a bad day for most, so I was pleasantly surprised that this day was not such for me. Whew!
9:45am - Drink #2
12:00pm - Drink #3
2:00pm - Not hungry, but feel like I want to MUNCH on something! Luckily, these urges do not last long at all as I have zero tolerance for self-torture when it comes to food. That may sound crazy since I'm doing this cleanse thing, but it really hasn't been nearly as difficult as I anticipated.
3:00pm - Drink #4
5:30pm - Drink #5. Status quo.
Evening tea. Bed.
I was supposed to have at least 6 drinks and realize I only had 5... Not good. Will have to watch that tomorrow.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Day 2 - Poop City
When I woke up, I felt great. No hunger. No pain. I got on the scale and couldn't believe my eyes.. I had lost 3 pounds!!!! For the first time in months of trying to drop a few pounds, it actually did and I was literally rubbing my eyes thinking it was broken or something. This definitely motivated me to keep going. When I looked in the mirror, I noticed my tummy was flatter, too. Loved it.
Another thing I noticed? An icky, white coating on my tongue. This is apparently very common and is the result of toxins being released. They say that when the white coating disappears, is when you can come off the cleanse because the toxins are gone. Nasty.
In the morning, I had my tea and 2 drinks before I went for a 3 mile run. I'm trying to stick with my regular workout schedule. The last 1/4 mile was extremely tough. I didn't feel like I had a lot of "juice" in my legs and had to run at a slower pace.
9:30am - drink #3. Still going strong. Feeling fine.
11:30am - Started to feel like I want to munch on something. Made drink #4.
1:40pm - Drink #5
5:30pm - Drink #6. I wanted to have one sooner, but was on a road trip and unable to fix one. This was a little too long of a stretch. I didn't feel sick or anything, just felt I needed energy.
6:00pm - Fixed dinner for family and felt fine. Didn't feel hungry. A few times, I felt like I wanted to eat or nibble on something like chip or a bite hear and there. It wasn't overly strong or unbearable and I managed to get through it just fine.
9:00pm - Laxative tea.
This was a much much better day than yesterday. I haven't been mentioning all my BM's because I'm sure you don't want to read about that, but I've been having at least 4 a day. Today they started to get runny which is normal. On to day 3!
Another thing I noticed? An icky, white coating on my tongue. This is apparently very common and is the result of toxins being released. They say that when the white coating disappears, is when you can come off the cleanse because the toxins are gone. Nasty.
In the morning, I had my tea and 2 drinks before I went for a 3 mile run. I'm trying to stick with my regular workout schedule. The last 1/4 mile was extremely tough. I didn't feel like I had a lot of "juice" in my legs and had to run at a slower pace.
9:30am - drink #3. Still going strong. Feeling fine.
11:30am - Started to feel like I want to munch on something. Made drink #4.
1:40pm - Drink #5
5:30pm - Drink #6. I wanted to have one sooner, but was on a road trip and unable to fix one. This was a little too long of a stretch. I didn't feel sick or anything, just felt I needed energy.
6:00pm - Fixed dinner for family and felt fine. Didn't feel hungry. A few times, I felt like I wanted to eat or nibble on something like chip or a bite hear and there. It wasn't overly strong or unbearable and I managed to get through it just fine.
9:00pm - Laxative tea.
This was a much much better day than yesterday. I haven't been mentioning all my BM's because I'm sure you don't want to read about that, but I've been having at least 4 a day. Today they started to get runny which is normal. On to day 3!
Day 1 - Like a Virgin..
I woke up so nervous about what the day would bring, but also super excited about the prospects of a successful detox. I kept telling myself, mind over body. You can do this.
Knowing that many people have said the first 3 days are often the most difficult, I knew I was in for a battle these next few days.
One day. One hour at a time.
At 7am, I had my herbal laxative tea steeped for 2 minutes. An hour later, I had my first drink and went straight to the gym for a boxing workout. It was a tougher-than-usual workout. I pushed through it and finished strong.
At 11am, I had my second drink. Felt fine. Not hungry.
12:45pm - Felt a tiny pang of hunger, so I quickly fixed drink #3.
2:10pm - Small headache. Stomach is growling. Overall, feel okay- not great. Had drink #4.
2:45pm - Okay. Not doing so well. Still have a headache and am now completely lethargic. Zero energy. Unable to focus/ concentrate at work.
3:00pm - Can't fight through it. Went to the floor and laid down. Passed out for an HOUR!
4:00pm - Woke up to phone ringing. Feel totally heady, like my head is in a space helmet. Hard to focus. Got up to have drink #5.
5:00pm - Feeling much better. That was a BRUTAL afternoon. Nothing I'd ever experienced before.
5:30pm - Drink #6. No hunger.
6:30pm - Cooked dinner for family. Slightly tempting, all the smells, but surprisingly, managed fine. No craving.
8:00pm - Drink #7. Felt fine. Noticed my tummy doesn't have it's usual bloat after dinner. This motivates me.
Overall, a pretty tough day. I'm hoping this is not what I will experience going forward because I need to be able to work. Had my laxative tea and went to sleep.
Knowing that many people have said the first 3 days are often the most difficult, I knew I was in for a battle these next few days.
One day. One hour at a time.
At 7am, I had my herbal laxative tea steeped for 2 minutes. An hour later, I had my first drink and went straight to the gym for a boxing workout. It was a tougher-than-usual workout. I pushed through it and finished strong.
At 11am, I had my second drink. Felt fine. Not hungry.
12:45pm - Felt a tiny pang of hunger, so I quickly fixed drink #3.
2:10pm - Small headache. Stomach is growling. Overall, feel okay- not great. Had drink #4.
2:45pm - Okay. Not doing so well. Still have a headache and am now completely lethargic. Zero energy. Unable to focus/ concentrate at work.
3:00pm - Can't fight through it. Went to the floor and laid down. Passed out for an HOUR!
4:00pm - Woke up to phone ringing. Feel totally heady, like my head is in a space helmet. Hard to focus. Got up to have drink #5.
5:00pm - Feeling much better. That was a BRUTAL afternoon. Nothing I'd ever experienced before.
5:30pm - Drink #6. No hunger.
6:30pm - Cooked dinner for family. Slightly tempting, all the smells, but surprisingly, managed fine. No craving.
8:00pm - Drink #7. Felt fine. Noticed my tummy doesn't have it's usual bloat after dinner. This motivates me.
Overall, a pretty tough day. I'm hoping this is not what I will experience going forward because I need to be able to work. Had my laxative tea and went to sleep.
The Night Before
On Monday night, I set out to get prepped for the next 10 days. I pulled out my juicer. I got out my measuring spoons, cayenne pepper, lemons and measuring cups. I was excited and nervous. I intentionally only bought 20 organic lemons and 1 container of Grade B Maple syrup because I just didn't know how long I could withstand the diet. What if I couldn't even get passed the first day? According to many, Day 1 is the toughest. Others said Day 3. Only time would tell. All I knew was that I didn't want to be stuck with a gallon of maple syrup and a slew of lemons.
Before bed, I took all my measurements and weighed myself. Then I drank my herbal laxative tea and went to sleep.
Here's a look at what I'm in for:
Before bed, I took all my measurements and weighed myself. Then I drank my herbal laxative tea and went to sleep.
Here's a look at what I'm in for:
The Beginning...
So, what got me into this whole Master Cleanse thing? Two weeks ago I was at the salon getting my hair cut. My stylist and friend, 'M' was telling me about how she needed to lose weight in order to fit into a dress for an upcoming wedding. She was planning on doing the "Master Cleanse." I said, "the master-WHO?"
I'd never heard of this and as soon as she described it as no food for 10 days, just lemonade, I said, "No thanks! Not this chica!" But of course, I was still curious to hear about what she was planning on putting herself through and wanted to learn more. She mentioned that this was the method Beyonce had used to lose 20 pounds in preparation for her role in DreamGirls. She seemed to have done a lot of research on the topic and encouraged me to do the same.
So, when I got home, I googled Master Cleanse and lo and behold, it was everywhere! As I read and read, I became more intrigued and ended up ordering a used copy of "The Complete Master Cleanse: A Step-By-Step Guide to Maximizing the Benefits of the Lemonade Diet" by Tom Woloshyn on Amazon.com.
It arrived a few days later and I read it cover to cover. I was fascinated by all of the seemed health benefits and positive testimonials but still, didn't think I could do it.
I put the book down for a few days and went on trying my current diet of cutting back on carbs and not eating after 8pm.
I am an average-sized woman. I'm not obese. I'm 5'6" tall and am a size 8. I exercise regularly- at least 4 days a week. My workouts consist of boxing, running, weight-lifting and pole dancing. With each of my 2 pregnancies, I had gained 80 pounds and lost most of it both times. Every winter, I slowly gain about 5-8 pounds and come summer, I work extra hard to eventually lose those extra pounds.
This spring, I noticed I had gained closer to 8 pounds over the winter and as I tried to work harder and lessen my carbs intake, it didn't seem to be working. For 15 days prior to my hair cut, I had gone on a moderate diet of simply being more conscious of what I was eating and switching all breads and pastas to whole wheat only as well as cutting out all sweets and snacks after 8pm. After 7 days, there wasn't a single change in my weight or appearance. On days 8-10, I simply got frustrated and thought to myself, why bother cutting all these things out if I could have stayed doing what I was doing and stayed the same weight?!?! It was maddening. So I quit the diet.
So, it was quite timely that 'M' mentioned this Master Cleanse diet to me because I was at my wits end trying to lose these pesky 8 pounds the old-fashioned way of diet and exercise.
A few days later, I picked up the Master Cleanse book again. I read the how-to's over and over and started to imagine what it would be like to actually go through with it. I started to look at my calendar and see if there was a "good time" to take 10 days to do this thing.. and of course, there wasn't. There was a barbeque here, a party there, dinners out. No good time.
I told myself, this was not something I could really plan out. If I was going to do it, I would just have to do it. This was Monday.
After work, I drove to the whole foods supermarket and purchased all my ingredients in preparation for the road ahead which would begin that evening.
At the checkout counter, the cashier took one look at my purchases and said, "Master cleanse, huh? Let me know how it goes."
I asked her if there were a lot of people that come in buying everything to do it and she said yes, all the time. She added that lots of people have great success with it but that she could never do it herself and wished me luck.
And so my journey began.
I'd never heard of this and as soon as she described it as no food for 10 days, just lemonade, I said, "No thanks! Not this chica!" But of course, I was still curious to hear about what she was planning on putting herself through and wanted to learn more. She mentioned that this was the method Beyonce had used to lose 20 pounds in preparation for her role in DreamGirls. She seemed to have done a lot of research on the topic and encouraged me to do the same.
So, when I got home, I googled Master Cleanse and lo and behold, it was everywhere! As I read and read, I became more intrigued and ended up ordering a used copy of "The Complete Master Cleanse: A Step-By-Step Guide to Maximizing the Benefits of the Lemonade Diet" by Tom Woloshyn on Amazon.com.
It arrived a few days later and I read it cover to cover. I was fascinated by all of the seemed health benefits and positive testimonials but still, didn't think I could do it.
I put the book down for a few days and went on trying my current diet of cutting back on carbs and not eating after 8pm.
I am an average-sized woman. I'm not obese. I'm 5'6" tall and am a size 8. I exercise regularly- at least 4 days a week. My workouts consist of boxing, running, weight-lifting and pole dancing. With each of my 2 pregnancies, I had gained 80 pounds and lost most of it both times. Every winter, I slowly gain about 5-8 pounds and come summer, I work extra hard to eventually lose those extra pounds.
This spring, I noticed I had gained closer to 8 pounds over the winter and as I tried to work harder and lessen my carbs intake, it didn't seem to be working. For 15 days prior to my hair cut, I had gone on a moderate diet of simply being more conscious of what I was eating and switching all breads and pastas to whole wheat only as well as cutting out all sweets and snacks after 8pm. After 7 days, there wasn't a single change in my weight or appearance. On days 8-10, I simply got frustrated and thought to myself, why bother cutting all these things out if I could have stayed doing what I was doing and stayed the same weight?!?! It was maddening. So I quit the diet.
So, it was quite timely that 'M' mentioned this Master Cleanse diet to me because I was at my wits end trying to lose these pesky 8 pounds the old-fashioned way of diet and exercise.
A few days later, I picked up the Master Cleanse book again. I read the how-to's over and over and started to imagine what it would be like to actually go through with it. I started to look at my calendar and see if there was a "good time" to take 10 days to do this thing.. and of course, there wasn't. There was a barbeque here, a party there, dinners out. No good time.
I told myself, this was not something I could really plan out. If I was going to do it, I would just have to do it. This was Monday.
After work, I drove to the whole foods supermarket and purchased all my ingredients in preparation for the road ahead which would begin that evening.
At the checkout counter, the cashier took one look at my purchases and said, "Master cleanse, huh? Let me know how it goes."
I asked her if there were a lot of people that come in buying everything to do it and she said yes, all the time. She added that lots of people have great success with it but that she could never do it herself and wished me luck.
And so my journey began.
My Journey
As I write today, I am actually on Day 3 of my Master Cleanse journey. As I've discussed my experience with friends, I've realized that people want to know what it's been like for me, if I've lost any weight, how I've been feeling, etc. I have been keeping a written journal every day so I will go back and diary my experience from the start, bring you up to the present, and continue adding posts as I move through this journey.
Welcome!
Welcome!
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