Has anyone here done a detox?

cameragirl21 wrote: Ok, so I got a three day detox plan that I intend to try but I have a few questions about it...first of all, while it doesn't look like much fun at all, it's NOT the lemon juice and cayenne thing, there IS real food here, so...can I do it for more than 3 days? I was thinking, assuming I can get thru the three days that I may want to extend it to 7-10 days. I'm wondering if these things are written for a certain period of time only for a specific reason?
Also, I read that as your body detoxes you'll feel...weird...like you'll be tired and cranky from time to time and that when you're tired you should just let yourself rest.... The way the lady who wrote the detox described it, it sounds like withdrawal from drug addiction or something. That said, I'm wondering if I should try to avoid dealing with clients at least for the first couple of days? Is it as bad as they make it sound?
I really want to do this but am seriously wigged out a bit, it sounds downright weird.
And I'm sure weird is a word some might use to describe me so I figure that if I say something is weird it must REALLY be weird....

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I do them ALL the time. I'm fasting right now....for three weeks, which turns into about 2 months by the time you prepare and then you have to come off the fast slowly. 3 days is nothing You can do it for more than 3 days, easy!

My advice is yes, avoid your clients for the first couple of days. Allow yourself time to rest and reflect (pray if you wish or do yoga...) Clean out your fridge and pantry to avoid temptation. (This is one step I have to skip b/c of my family.) I write a lot during my fasting periods, but I do it for spiritual reasons. It also helps divert my attention from the hunger pangs.

It's rough. The first two days are very difficult and there will be several days in there that you want to give in to temptation. You will go through a lot of emotions...this is normal.

I think we've talked about all this before, but let me know if you have anymore questions.

mckayleesmom replied: I don't think I could do it....


That drink doesn't sound tastey at all.

cameragirl21 replied: so, Aimee, is it to say then that you have will be hungry, in that you can't just have, say, a beet and carrot juice drink if you're hungry unless it specifically says you can at that time according to the detox plan?
When you say you will go through a lot of emotions...this is what worries me, can you elaborate on this, please? It sounds freaky. I mean, I know I can do it but sounds awful, really, as if I won't be in control of myself if you kwim.
Also, it says to drink a gallon a day of water, which I can do, no problem, I drink tons as it is. It says it's preferable to add lemon juice to the water. I also thought about adding a bit of cucumber juice and cukes are allowed on this detox. So is that allowed or is any deviation verboten?
This is what I mean by weird and all....
Also, she says that your body will be very sensitive to anything unhealthy after a detox so how do you recommend coming off of it?
I love tomatoes and peppers which are not allowed as they're considered nightshades but they are hardly junk food. That said, if I detox for say, 10 days and then have a tomato the next day...is that going to be a problem? I can understand not having a cupcake the next day but how soon can you bring back the normally healthy veggies like tomatoes and peppers and such?
How often do you detox and what is the rationale behind this schedule, just so I understand? Also, does this really jumpstart weight loss?

TLCDad replied: I actually thought about doing this myself, then I read up on it and found out alot of people did this and lost weight etc, but only mainly lost water weight and then gain it back much faster.

cameragirl21 replied:
All it does is jumpstart weightloss. On its own, it's not meant for weight loss. But if you have, say, 25 pounds to lose, you can lose up to 10 in detox and then you can start to add in more foods and you're more encouraged and apparently it makes your body more efficient to eliminate the fat and excess pounds, etc.

CantWait replied: Ok so all this talk about detoxing has got me curious....I've gained a lot over Christmas thinking at one point I could eat what I wanted cause I had some time lol Now that that is not the case, it's time to lose it...

But there are so many detox plans out there. How do you know which one is right? Some of them I could NEVER follow here, cause the things needed are just not available.

cameragirl21 replied: If you like I can email you the one I got, Marie, it's by a yoga and nutrition specialist. I thought about asking her some of the questions I've asked here but I've already asked her so many questions that I'm trying to learn what I can from others who may have done it.
This detox is probably doable in Russia if you have access to green veggies, that green powder I'd posted about here previously and brown rice, which I hate but will be eating quite a bit of soon.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I had to go get Maddie....

First of all, you need to ask yourself why you are doing a detox. If it's primarily for weight loss....a detox is not the right way to go. If it's for a total body cleanse, to renew your mind, body and spirit...then a detox will be beneficial and may help aide in weight loss, but honestly I wouldn't expect to lose too much weight from it. It is not a successful detox unless you have renewed your mind as well...that's sort of the purpose of it. Unless you just want to do a quick colon cleanse.

There are tons of fasts/detox/cleanses out there. It sounds as though you have purchased a book on your chosen detox. I'm not sure which one you are doing so I can't really comment on what you can or cannot have to eat. I would just choose a plan and follow it. It should tell you how to come off of the detox as well. Usually the first day you start with a clear broth and then slowly introduce the "safe" veggies in each day, with fruit being last...this should be done as many days as your detox. So if you do a 3 day detox, you will spend 3 days coming off of it. The purpose in this is to not shock your system and you want to be careful what you put back in it, of course. You've just detoxed your body from toxins, you don't want to sabotage that.

I try to detox every 3 months. And the duration just depends. The last time I did it for 3 weeks as well. Some people do it once a month. There's so many reasons why people choose to detox or fast. I like to do it for spiritual guidance and discipline.

CantWait replied:
that would be great Jennifer...

email is shai_1977@hotmail.com

I can get green vegs here, and MAYbe brown rice, I actually haven't seen it yet, but haven't looked super hard yet either. The green powder, might be a different story though.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: I cannot stress enough that a detox is not good for weight loss. Yes, you can expect to lose a few pounds, but you gain it back once you start eating again, as Jen said.

There is no "magic" way to lose weight. It's a lifestyle change that takes lots of time and effort. IMO Weight Watchers is the best program out there for that.

I will say that a detox can be a good way to gain clarity and renew your mind before starting a diet...it will teach you discipline (if you do an extended one). However, you are depriving yourself of pretty much everything and unless you have the discipline not to gorge before and after, it will not be successful.

cameragirl21 replied: mine says, verbatim, that it's for "health, happiness and a flatter tummy."
So I guess it is meant to jumpstart weight loss. I will give it a shot and let everyone know how it goes....

cameragirl21 replied:
sent.

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Yeah, let me know how it works for you!