My Cleanse Pre thoughts

Good Morning to all!   I am finally over my week long sick.   Man it hit me hard.   Thankfully I am feeling much better and ready to start my day.   As I said before I am doing a modified cleanse.   This will start out with a couple weeks of pre cleansing my body and getting it ready for a drastic change.   I will spend the next couple weeks adjusting my diet to slowly eliminate unhealthy foods so my body doesn't go into shock mode.

I have learned a few things over the course of my last 2 years.   

Lesson 1:  losing weight is an addiction.  An obsession of sorts.

Lesson 2: nothing is worth making yourself miserable over.

Lesson 3: Cleansing is not the "over the top feel good" solution.  

Lesson 4: nothing is going to make your weight fall off unless you are willing to work for it.

That all said.  My modifications are tailored to fit my lifestyle and ability.  These are by no means a solution to your personal style or needs.  Do it how you choose.   I will document how I feel, what I eat, how many calories I ingest as well as my weight.  You will likely get "TMI" but what the heck..  

Now for the good stuff.   I was sadly surprised that after being sick I woke up to a sickening 184 on the scale.  Holy Crap!!!  How do you gain weight while sick?  I didn't eat much of anything.   Grrrr. Oh well. I am about to change that.  

Have any of you looked into the Master Cleanse?  Holy Cats!   That is one strict cleanse that is about 850 calories a day.  NOT GONNA HAPPEN!   Now I am going to use the juice as a filler only because I love how it tastes but strictly that..   NO WAY!  I would starve to death and be so miserable that my loves would all abandon me.

Yes..   That was my first impression of the cleanse.  Being me I just had to try it out.  Surprisingly it isn't bad.   Super easy to follow once I set myself up on a written schedule and found methods that work for me.  Those methods include a cup of coffee in the morning.  My goal was to maintain about 1250 calories a day in food and beverage.  This did not include any exercise deductions or additions.  If I wasn't determined to keep my coffee I am sure this cleanse would still be doable.  Who knows.  Here are the details of the cleanse I did.

MASTER CLEANSE

Per day limits

64 to 96 ounces of juice( recommended)

Half your body weight in water

RECIPE

8 ounces water

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp organic grade b maple syrup

1/10 tsp cayenne pepper

I like to make mine in 16 ounce batches.  If I make the whole days worth the cayenne pepper steeps and gets VERY spicy by the end of the day.   My suggestion is to either:

A: mix your lemon juice and maple syrup together in a separate container so all you have to do is shake and measure each portion. No water or cayenne to this mixture. Add those when ready to drink.  I have heard of people freezing these in cubes so all they have to do is pop a cube into their bottle. I have NOT tried this.  

B: mix your lemon juice, maple syrup and water into your bottles and add your cayenne when ready to drink.   This would be handy if you are working or out for the day.   No supplies to tote except your bottles and bottle of cayenne pepper.  I do this when we are traveling.  This is where I freeze the lemon juice.  I find I have enough juice melting as I need it.  Stored properly in a cooler it is likely to still have a frozen piece at the end of the day.   Just keep it as cold as you can. 

I really dislike drinking plain water so this is what I do to get my water in.

I use a 16 ounce bottle filled with my juice mix.  Once I drink half the bottle I fill it with 8 ice cubes equal to 8 ounces of water.   You will know when your bottle is full to the top again.   Now I have added water to my day and the juice is still good.  I drink another 8 ounces and fill it up once again with ice cubes.  By the time I am done with this I have consumed 2 servings of juice and 16 ounces of additional water.

If you are using the 2 hour clock schedule it would look like this:

8am: 8 ounces of master cleanse( first half of 16 ounce bottle then add ice cubes to the top)

9am: 8 ounces water (another first half then again fill with ice cubes)

10am: 8 ounces of master cleanse (now I just drink on this until noon)

11am: 8 ounces water (technically this is the last 8 ounces in the bottle)

Now I make a new fresh bottle of straight master cleanse and start the morning process again.

12 noon: 8 ounces cleanse

1pm: 8 ounces water

2pm: 8 ounces cleanse

3pm: 8 ounces water

Again another fresh bottle of master cleanse

4pm: 8 ounces cleanse

5pm: 8 ounces water

6pm: 8 ounces cleanse

7pm: 8 ounces water

9pm: smooth move tea( this gives you 8 more ounces of water)

This plan will give you 6 servings of the master cleanse and 7 servings of water.  This is 2 servings less than what the recommend of the master cleanse.  I use those 2 extra servings in where my hungry times are.  Usually around 2pm and 6pm.  They do recommend that you don't drink the cleanse to late in the evening or you will be up all night going potty.  You also have to save room for your nightly cleanse tea.  So..  I was surprisingly not as hungry as I was when I did the blueprint cleanse diy version. I am guessing it had something to do with the cayenne but I could be wrong.

Now on to how I plan on modifying this sucker. I find that 850 calories is sufficient for my old activity level, however, now that I am walking every day in find I need a tad more energy.  (Hence my 2pm hungry time)

I truly believe that you need more nutrients than what lemons and maple syrup can give you. Yes you can survive on it but is it really that healthy?  Unlikely.  I might sub the master cleanse drink 3 or 4 times a day with some fresh veggie juice.   I really have become quite accustomed to Joe Cross Mean Green juice so that's what I will use mostly.  There are many free recipes online to choose from.   I look for ones with minimal kale (bitter to me) and minimal beets (taste like dirt) minimal fruits (generally higher in calories).  I might even add in some vegetable soups.   Not really sure yet.   I am still in the planning stage.   I find that having a set plan allows me better success.

I did go and get my very first colonic.   Holy hell that was intense and quite uncomfortable.   I had cramping and hot flashes thru most of it.   Almost passed out once.   Ended up sniffing peppermint oil to relax me.  It was needless to say something I will NOT be doing again any time soon.   

Then I was told to try the bisacodyl stimulant that doctors prescribe for pre colonoscopys.  

The instructions say to take 1-3 pills before bed.   I took 2.    Holy hell again.   6-8 hours for results.   I took them at 9:45pm with 8 ounces of water.  I woke up at 11:45pm with the most intense cramps.  What happened to that 6-8 hour thing.   Only took 2.   I thought I was giving birth.   It was so awful I laid in the tub letting the hot shower run on me til the hot water ran out.   Then I just laid there.   I had 3 massive incidents where I was barely able to get to the toilet in time.   Soaked the bathroom in the process.  I finally got back to bed around 4am with minimal cramping.   This product definitely works but it is very painful.   I have been putting my body thru hell so I figured I had better get some help.  My nutritionist told me to get probiotics.

This is what I got.   They have to be making a difference in my system but I don't feel any difference nor has anything changed.

All of these experiments are probably not good for me but researching is what I need to do to gain knowledge.  My goal is to start my cleansing on October 1, 2014.   Wish me luck!

Day 6 and 7

Days 6 and 7 went smooth.  I incorporated some raw foods into my diet as well as a little meat, cheese and crackers.  I know those were probably not the best choices, but it was all I had to choose from.

My total weight loss those 7 days is 5.9 pounds.  Not to shabby considering I did NOT drink as much water as I should have and I did snack on almonds a few times.

I am going to have a few days of normal people eating minus the processed junk.  More Paleo than anything.  Then I will be moving on to more of a juice, smoothie raw foodish diet.  I can tell you that I feel so much better without all the junk I had been eating. 

Day 5 : Urban Remedy last day

Woke up again before the alarm.   I feel GREAT.   I have a confession.   I ate a small piece of cheese last night.  Sigh.   I couldn't help it.   Haha

6:55 am brought me a large yerba maté tea. 

9:00 am I had my first juice of the day.  What a yummy blend.  This one scores a 10.

Juice 2 was sooooo much better than the plain lemon cayenne one from yesterday.  This one scores a 8 only because I don't care for cayenne. 

Juice 3 is called Flush...  This one was a winner too..  scores a 10.  I downed this one halfway then froze it into a slushy and it was amazing that way too.

  

Juice 4 was a real treat.  I do not generally care for beets.  I dislike them immensely.  This one is pretty darn good.  Score 7

Okay Juice 5 was not horrible but not great either.  I guess I just don't like these kinds of shakes.  Kind of boring and I was really hoping for something with a smoother sweet fruity goodness.  Score 6

 

OOOOOOOO..  Juice 6 was the cashew milk.  Much nicer than the previous.  This one is really quite nice.  Mine was smooth and not lumpy at all..  Score 9

Day 4: second day of Urban Remedy Cleanse

Well...  Let me start off by saying that I woke up at 5:00am refreshed and unable to fall back asleep.  Something not normal for me at all..  down 4.3 pounds.. Not to shabby

I made my first lemon tea at 5:30am and had an additional one at 6:00am.  By 7am I was so shaky and weak that I ended up drinking about 3 ounces of the almond milk left over from day 2.  I felt somewhat better within a few minutes.  I arrived at work around 7:30am and was feeling much better and not a bit shaky.

9:00am I opened and gulped down juice 1 (same kind as yesterday).  It took me less than 10 minutes to polish off the bottle.  I was feeling tired and knew I needed juice in me.

9:30am had me feeling quite energized but unsteady and lightheaded.  I was grateful to be sitting down.  I drank some yerba mate tea and it helped a lot.

11:00am I cranked open the lemon juice 2 (again same as yesterday).   It was so much better tasting today than yesterday.  Less pulp and so much smoother that I actually liked it.  Had that gone within the hour and when I had about 2 ounces left I filled it up with cold water and slugged on that.

12:35pm..  Lunchtime...  I went home and warmed up some veggie broth just to add some warmth to my system.  I am not much of a tea drinker so this was doing to have to be acceptable..  Took away all the cold in my body (I have been super cold for 3 days).  I am feeling quite comfortable but definitely ready for juice 3. 

I get back from my lunch break to find this at work.   The whole place smells like pizza.   Wtf!  I realize that people shouldn't have to rearrange things around my eating habits, but come on.  You know that I only have a few days left so why have our pizza party now when I can't even enjoy it.  SIGH

Oh well..  I opened juice 3 and enjoyed it after putting menthol in my nose so I couldn't smell the pizza. 

It is now 5:10pm and I am skipping juice 4 from yesterday.. You know that yucky smoothie one (I will give that one to the kids)....  I am replacing it with the beet one from the Blueprint cleanse.

Day 3: Urban Remedy day

So this starts day 3.   I started my day with hot lemon water.   Woke up before my alarm at 5:45am and still feel great at 10:37am.   Broke open the first bottle of Urban Remedy juice.   A bit tart to begin with but definitely a winner..   It is so good.  Very impressed with the combination.   Definitely need to forge a recipe for this one.   Wow...

Juice number 2.   Okay.   This one is super lemony.   But way better than the lemon one from yesterday.  Still not a huge fan.  I will choke it down because I have to.  It's 11:30am and I really want and cheeseburger.  12:42pm and I still have not finished juice 2.  I am just going to slam the rest of it so I can move on..  I am way behind on my juices.

Juice number 3 was really good until the end of the bottle.  The fennel seemed to get stronger as I drank it. I managed to polish this one off quite quickly.  

3:40pm I opened Drink 4..  well.. it is more of a smoothie.  Not quite what I was expecting.  Never having Acai before I was hoping it was a sweet berry..  Nope.  This was kind of tart and well.. I am not sure how to describe it.  I didn't care for it.  Almost worse than drink 2.

Oh sweet divine drink number 5.  My all time favorite of the day..  This blend is very good.  I savored ever last drop and even added some water to it to get the rest out of the bottle.. hahaha 

It is about 8:30pm and I am starving.  I was going to just finish last nights almond milk but desperately wanted to try this one.  Drink 6 is an amazing cashew milk.  Now this is desert in a bottle.  Smooth with a bit of chunk to chew on..  I am in HEAVEN!!!!   Unfortunately there is no way I can drink this whole bottle.  My stomach has been shrinking and it is just to much.. 

I am absolutely exhausted.  No real energy today and really jut plain feeling foggy..  I am heading to bed with the hopes that tomorrow is much easier...

Day 2: Blueprint day

Wow..   I woke up this morning before the alarm.   Seems typical on a juice feast.   I was in and out of the shower and ready for work with time to sit back and enjoy a cup of tea.  I am thinking of ordering some herbal coffee replacement.   There are several different types.  

Omg!   It just dawned on me..  Today is Tuesday!!!   My cleanses will be delivered today...   Hahahaha   Totally excited to get them so I can give my personal reviews.   Wishing I had gotten the 3 day blueprint cleanse instead of only a 1 day.   But Urban Remedy is a 3 day so I will see how that goes too!.  

Ok.   I am off to get the kiddo to school.  Then on to work to patiently await the arrival of my packages.  Pictures to come...

Still patiently waiting.  It is 10am and I am drinking my first juice of the day.   My head was foggy so I did drink a cup of coffee.   Not good but tasted great.   I do not feel bad about it.   Hahaha.  I should really take this more seriously than I am.   Feasting is a great way to cleanse the body.  I have already kicked most of my cravings.   Coffee is one I am not sure I want to kick though.   I love coffee. 

This is juice 1.   Fennel is sooo amazing..  frond and all. 

I strain all my juices to decrease the pulp.   I do not like textured juice so I try to get it as smooth as I can.

My only exception to straining is mint.   I juice the mint then throw the pulp in the juice.   I like to chew mint.  Tasty!

I got a call from work letting me know I had packages so I immediately turned over my fennel juice to a friend and let her finish it.  I only drank about 3 ounces of it.  She loved it as well..  so... I am gonna go get my juices and pop one open..  Wonder how I am gonna get all 6 drank in one day.. hahaha

 

My packages arrived with a few issues.. The Blueprint box arrived perfectly fine..  The Urban Remedy box not so much.  3 of the 4 sides were split.  Slightly concerning.  However upon inspection...  Only one juice had a crushed top but seems to be fine.    

Now you will notice that I have 2 different juice 1 drinks..  That is because I ordered 2 days of the Purify cleanse and 1 day of the signature cleanse.  Slightly saddened that I did not receive a cooler bag like some others received..  hmmm

 Blueprint sent me a super cute cooler lunch bag.  Looks like it will hold 6 bottles of juice.  Love love love it!!!

 Here are my 6 Blueprint juices.  They really look yummy.  I am going to start with Blueprint and pop the top on juice 1.

Holy crap!!   This Juice 1 is AMAZING!   Very refreshing and smooth.   I do not like tart or pulpy juice and this one is neither.   All the flavors blend perfectly.   Should have ordered more of this one..  2:23pm and almost finished.

4:00pm-  Okay..  my mouth feels nasty.  I didn't bring a toothbrush and I should have.   My tongue is starting to feel all cotton like.   Really sticking gross.  I scraped it with my.spoon but even my teeth feel yucky.   Sigh

4:36pm.   Popping open the second juice.   Wowza!!!   This one is really good too..   A bit sweeter than I expected but super tasty nonetheless.  Not sure how I am going to get 4 more in me.. hahaha

 

Juice number 3 was the same as juice number 1.  

7:33pm and I still have 2 more to go.  No way I can stuff any more fluid into my body..  I am just not hungry at all..  Number 4 and isn't that great to be honest.  Lemon isn't my favorite so it is challenging to say the least.  It isn't to spicy so that is a bonus.. 

8:00pm and I am not doing well with this number 4 thing.  GROSS!!!!  I have it half gone.  It is going back in the fridge and maybe I will polish it off later.  I still have 5 and 6 to go.  Good thing I stay up late.  I have until 10pm to drink it and still manage to finish 2 hours before bedtime.

9:05pm and I am just plain stuffed.. I cannot drink anything more..  I drank half of 4, skipped 5 and drank half of 6.  OMG!!  The cashew milk is AMAZING!!!

Day 1 Juice feast not fast!

 

First let me just ask you to ignore the fact that my fridge needs a good cleaning.. hahaha

This is a couple days worth of juice made up for today and tomorrow.  I also played around with some cashew milk and almond milk.  I am starting out my feast the right way.  I am starting with some fruity juices with carrots and sweet potatoes added for my veggies.  I also discovered that labeling them with either the recipe name or the ingredients makes it super helpful when grabbing for one.  Then I am not left wondering which juice I am going to have.  I am really tired of strictly green juice so I figured I would give this a shot.   So far the fruity ones have filled me up much better than the veggies ones have.  It is 12:36pm and I have had 2- 16 ounce jars of juice and I am not even hungry.  I only had 8 ounces of water in the mix so far.  Will try to get at least 20 more ounces in today.

I wanted to try out a couple different juice cleanse plans so I ordered a 1 day cleanse from Blueprint and a 3 day cleanse from Urban Remedy.  They will both be delivered tomorrow.  I am want to try out their juices just to compare to the satisfaction aspect.  Some have reported that both those companies provide juice that seems to satisfy them better than the ones they have made at home.  I will give a review of each when they arrive.  I am having them delivered to work so I can be sure they stay cold.

I am back at work and there are so many goodies here.   Sigh!   We have inventory so there are 30 extra people all walking around with snacks that smell so darn good.   Grrrrr

Finally home..  I failed..  I snacked on some stupid oreo balls..  6 of them were eaten before I even realized I had done it.  I got sidetracked and I ate them.  sigh.. In my defense who can really resist oreo balls.. hahaha  They were good but thankfully there are no more around me.

I managed to drink 5 jars of juice today.  I am no longer hungry.   Sad that I ate those stupid things..  but...  it was a learning lesson.  While they were really super good... They didn't last long enough for me to even really enjoy eating them.  Promise to do better from here on out..  Maybe i will slice up some veggies in case I get snacky again..  grrrrrr 

I have really been struggling today.  I know I can do this but dang..  I really love food.. hahaha

I am heading to bed so the temptation of the steaks and mashed potatoes do not get me...    Goodnight to all..  Cross your fingers my cleanse juices arrive tomorrow so I can start them on Wednesday.  got plenty for tomorrow all made up.