Master Cleanse Forum - Master Cleanser Lemonade Diet

Day 31

Hi everyone,

I have so far completed 30 days of my intended 40+ day MC. I thought it might be helpful to some (and for myself to keep the motivation up) to post on here and let you know how I’m doing.

A little bit of background: I’m not new to the MC, in fact I’ve done many cleanses over the past 14ish years (the longest being 40 days) but it’s been a long time since I posted on here. I’m 38, female and live in the UK. Last year I got VERY off track and managed to go down the slippery slope of feeling depressed and I binge ate my way to being overweight, feeling very low and generally not wanting to do anything or see anyone. During this time my favourite friends were biscuits and generally anything junky Before this I was healthy, slim, exercised regularly and generally felt good. However, all of my adult life I’ve had to battle with keeping my binge eating in check. Most of the time I won the battle, but sometimes it would get the better of me... last year was just that... but for a prolonged period of time, not just a week or two.

I wanted to start a fresh and press the re-set button and I know that the MC does that for me. I had wanted to start on 1st Jan 2019 but I had a family holiday that I had committed to (but definitely didn’t want to go on), so I started after that on 4th Feb. I did two days “pre-cleanse” where I ate a plant based diet (gluten free and whole foods) and then started Day 1 of the MC on 6th Feb and I’ve kept going.

I’ve had some detox symptoms along the way (hunger, headaches, lethargy) but this was mainly in the first week. After that, the hardest part has been keeping the MC secret. I live alone, so that is obviously easy, but work and family situations are a little trickier. You may wonder why I’d want to keep it a secret, but my past experience is that as soon as you say you’re doing a cleanse people will try their absolute hardest to make you stop, and I feel like the mental battle with the MC can be hard enough, without adding to it.

I’ve definitely got the white coated tongue, and I would really really like to keep going until it gets pink. But either way, the longest I’ll do is 60 days... who knows, the elusive pink tongue might appear long before then.

Anyway, I’ve rambled enough, but I will let you all know how I get on and I also intend to keep on posting long after the cleanse ends so that we can do the “post-cleanse” part together too. I always get frustrated when people tell us their successes on the cleanse and then disappear so that we don’t hear the full story afterwards (which, in my opinion, is actually the most important part).

In case you’re curious l, here are my stats so far:

Start weight: 12 stone (168 pounds) I’m 5foot 3 so this is a lot on my small frame
Current weight: 10 stone 2.5lbs (146.5 pounds)

X

Day 32

So it’s the morning of day 32. I am just plodding along, treating each day the same as the one before. Here’s a little breakdown of what a typical MC day has looked like for me so far:-

5am: wake up and do salt water flush (3 teaspoons of salt (I use Maldon sea salt flakes as they dissolve instantly with the hot water) plus 10oz of boiling water, topped up to 32oz with cold water)

5.45am: 32oz warm water (half hot half cold water) with 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice. This seems to get the swf moving!! Plus I really enjoy hot water and lemon, so I enjoy this.

Throughout the day: 6 glasses of lemonade (I actually make one big batch in the morning as I work and I can’t make indivisible glasses. I know it’s better to make a glass every time you want to drink, but this just doesn’t fit in with me. So I juice my lemons (12 tablespoons) add my maple syrup (I do 1 tablespoon per glass ie 6 tablespoons in total) to the big jug and then top up with spring water to the 60oz mark on the jug. Then I pour it into a big bottle and take it with me to work for the day). Every time I pour a glass of lemonade then I put in the cayenne at that moment. Anyone, like me, who has tried putting in the cayenne in advance will know that cayenne’s heat increases as it sits in liquid ... it nearly blew my head off! So I just add it each time.

6pm: Lax tea (I use Dr Stuart’s as I find the taste quite pleasant. I brew it for seven minutes and then drink it).

8pm: Bath with a handful of Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender oil.

8.45pm: Bed.

Extras:
• I walk 15,000 steps every day.

• I do an Epsom salt bath every day as I think it’s so good for relaxation, cleansing the skin and just soothing my entire body. I add a few drops of lavender to help me sleep.

• Before I shower/bath I use a brush to dry skin brush my entire body. It’s good for circulation and exfoliation. Plus I’ve heard it tightens the skin and I’m hoping (please please) that I won’t have any loose skin after gaining so much weight so quickly and then (hopefully) losing it again, so anything I can do that will prevent loose skin I’m all for! I particularly concentrate on my tummy, bum, thighs and tops of my arms as that’s where I hold all my fat (well, on my face too, but I’m not going to brush that )

• After bathing I use an aromatherapy body oil all over my body and really massage it in (quite vigorously!). The one I’ve been using for a while and absolutely love is by Beauty Kitchen called Inspire Me. It says it’s good for brightening and toning the skin. This is a UK brand so I’m not sure if they sell it anywhere else, but it’s the one I love.

• I write in my gratitude journal at the end of each day. Just three things from that day that I am grateful for. Number 1 on each day as been my gratitude for getting through another day on the MC

• Oil pulling: I do this every morning after my hot water and lemon whilst I’m getting ready for work. I know you’re supposed to do this on an empty stomach and it be the first thing you do when you wake up, but that would mean I’d have to get up even earlier (!) just so that I could do my 20 mins oil pulling before the swf, so that’s not going to happen! So I do what I can and I figured doing it whilst I’m doing my normal getting ready for work routine is better than not doing it all. I use a tablespoon of virgin coconut oil and swill it around my mouth for 20 mins, then I spit it out (don’t spit it down the sink, it will clog it!) and then I brush my teeth as normal, floss, use my tongue scraper and then a quick rinse with a natural mouthwash (I use Jason’s Sea Fresh mouthwash) and then I’m done. If I could really be bothered, I’d do this same oil pulling routine in the evening too as it does make my mouth feel so much fresher and less “furry” from the tongue coating. Maybe I’ll think about adding it to my routine...

Thoughts:
• Cayenne: When I first start out on a cleanse, I can only add the tiniest amount of cayenne, but as the days go by I seem to be able to tolerate more and more. Also, the more cayenne you can add, the better this is for the cleansing process.

• Water: I’d like to be able to tell you that in between my lemonade I’ve been drinking tonnes of water... but this is just not true! On my previous MC’s I’ve drunk as much water as I have lemonade (60oz) but for some reason on this cleanse I just can’t bring myself to drink lots of water. All I am managing to do is have a mouthful of water after each lemonade to swill my mouth out and swallow it so that I’m clearing my teeth of any lemonade residue. I have sensitive teeth and the lemonade aggregates this a bit, but I find if I have a mouthful of water it seems to be fine.

• Mint tea: I have this occasionally if I’m at a coffee shop and want to have something if others are having drinks. I actually really love fresh mint tea (ie just mint leaves in a pot of water) but quite often the only thing available is peppermint tea (tea bags) so I’ll have whatever’s there. I’ve probably had this once a week since I started the cleanse. According to Stanley Burroughs it can “assist further in cleansing. Its chlorophyll helps as a purifier, neutralising many mouth and body odors that are released during the cleansing period”.

• Maple Syrup: I buy a huge container of organic grade B maple syrup from amazon. You might be wondering why I only use 6 tablespoons a day, but it’s because I’ve tried it using 12 (ie 2 tablespoons per glass) but I just don’t like the taste and I find it difficult to drink. Also, I’m not too worried about it as in Stanley Burrough’s book he says 2 tablespoons of maple syrup per glass is recommended however “ For those who are overweight, less maple syrup may be taken”. I’ve interpreted this as “for those who can’t stomach it, they can have less maple syrup”

• Tongue coating: Today my tongue is looking ever so slightly better. I’d say about a third of my tongue is a nice pink colour and then the rest is still covered with the white/yellow coating. So I’m definitely making progress.

So that’s all for now.
Bye x

Day 33

It’s the morning of Day 33. It’s a Sunday so I plan on taking it easy today and relaxing, watching some Grey’s Anatomy (I’m almost on season 14 so I’m not sure what I’ll do once I’ve watched them all up to date!! ), going for a walk (if it stops raining) and not an awful lot more.

I had quite a busy day yesterday and was very pleased with myself because I started de-cluttering/organising the room I use to dump stuff I don’t want to deal with right at that moment. The rest of my house is always kept immaculate, but my “Monica Room” (for all of you friends fans out there, you’ll know what I mean) needs some tlc. I didn’t get anywhere near to finishing it, but I made a start and I’m proud of myself for that!

I had a bit of a lay-in this morning and got up at 8am. I’ve just done the swf and have made my lemonade for the day and will have my hot water and lemon in about 30 mins.

I wanted to mention today the types of detox symptoms I’ve had up to now.

• Headaches: I always get quite severe headaches in the first few days of going on a cleanse, and this one was no different. Even on my two pre-cleanse days I was feeling bad and this continued for two days on the actual MC. It’s no wonder given all the terrible food I’d been eating solidly for the months and months prior! However, I don’t drink coffee or tea so I can’t imagine how awful the caffeine withdrawal must be on top of this. Hats off to anyone who has this double whammy!

• Hunger: Day 1 and 2 of the MC I was really hungry and missed the feeling of food in my tummy. I found the emptiness an unsettling feeling, but this passed and on Day 3 I was getting used to the lemonade. By the end of day 4 I was in a little routine and it was at this point that I knew I could continue.

• No energy: The first week on the MC left me feeling quite tired and lacking in energy. I slept A LOT which my body obviously needed. I still got in my steps every day, but I didn’t do any cleaning or tasks that required too much from me. In my second week I was full of beans and felt energetic and great. This has continued since.

• Wanting to give up: Everytime I start the Master Cleanse I have to tell myself that if I can get through the first 4 days on it, then I’ll be fine after that point. The same thing happened with this cleanse. Seriously, every five minutes I’d change my mind and decide that I should just give in as what was the point, if I was going to be miserable I might as well be miserable and stuffing my face with all my favourite treats!! Then the next five minutes I’d be trying my hardest to complete the day. As if by magic, once I’m on Day 5 I start to feel like I can do 10 days, then when I get to 10 days, I can do 20 etc etc and here I am on day 33 and hoping to get beyond 40 day. I think it’s also a case of I know I can give up at any time in the first few days and I won’t have any adverse reactions, but once I’ve just been having liquids for 4 straight days, if I was just to give up and go on a binge I’d be ill and feel terrible. So there’s definitely something in the number 4 for me. It’s my make or break.

• Migraines: I have suffered from migraines since I was 11. Sometimes I think I know exactly what I need to do to keep them at bay, and just when I think I’ve got everything covered I get another one! It’s something I’ve had to learn to live with. When things are really bad, I have been known to get 2 a week! But since the MC I’ve only had 2, so I’m pleased with that.

• Boredom/wanting to eat: As I mentioned above, the first couple of days I do experience actual hunger. But after that I don’t get the hunger sensation, I just get the “desire” to eat. It’s purely a boredom thing when I’m desperate to chew and taste delicious good. But I tell myself that all the foods I love will not be going anywhere, and when I’ve finished a full transition to eating sufficient calories and nutritious food, I can add these foods in the same way any healthy balanced adult has treats occasionally If I was to tell myself that I can never eat these foods again then I’d want them even more and would’ve given up by now!

• Vivid dreams: Every night on the MC I have very vivid dreams, even to the point that in the beginning I was actually looking forward to going to sleep just so that I would see what I would dream about that night. Ha! Sometimes I’d dream that I was eating (well, actually a lot of the time) and I’d wake up in a bit of a panic that I’d fallen off the wagon! It felt like I could actually taste the food! Other times I dreamt of people who were very important to me and are no longer around. Again, I enjoyed this as it was almost like being with them again. The dreams continue, but I’ve sort of got used to them now.

• Food cravings: The strangest thing about the food I crave is that it’s almost like I’m replaying my binge eating but in reverse. So everything bad that I’ve stuffed my body with over the months prior to this cleanse are now being replayed through my cravings. I’ve read many times that when your body releases the toxins from these foods, that’s when you experience the cravings the most. I totally agree with this!!! I’m hopeful that as the cleanse goes on and the fewer toxins I have left in my body, the less cravings I’ll experience.

• Eczema: This is a funny one, because in general I don’t suffer with eczema. My sister and niece suffer terribly with it and have all of their lives, but I’ve been lucky enough not to have this. I have dry skin but not a skin condition. But EVERY time I do the MC a little patch of eczema appears (a different place every time), it stays around for about a week and then it starts to heal and disappear. This happened to me in the last few days. A patch appeared on my calf and it was super itchy and a bit weepy for a few days, and then it started healing and is on its way out. It’s so strange.

• Tongue: Within a day of being on the MC my tongue gets a lovely white thick coating on it! It’s pretty revolting and does make me conscious when speaking to people too closely. The oil pulling (see previous post) does help, as does the tongue scraping and I also find that my breath starts to smell fresher after about a week on the MC. At present, about a third of my tongue is a pinky colour and the rest has the white coating. I’m hoping more and more will clear over the next few weeks and I’ll have a lovely pink tongue by the end of the cleanse. We’ll see.

Just as an aside, I weighed myself this morning and I have officially lost 2 stone (28lbs) since I started on 4 February! Yay!

Start Weight: 12 stone (168 lbs)
Current Weight: 10 stone (140 lbs)

Bye for now x

Day 34

Good morning! It’s day 34 today and the start of a new week.

I had a bit of a tough day yesterday. During the morning (after my hot water and lemon and before my first lemonade) I started to get a bad headache and feel sick. I thought it was because my day had started a little later and I would’ve normally had 2 lemonades by this point, so I drank a lemonade and waited to feel better. Unfortunately it seemed to make me feel worse and the only thing I could do was go back to bad. I finally managed to fall asleep for a couple of hours. I woke up feeling less sick and my headache was a bit better. I drank another lemonade then went for a walk to see if the fresh air would help. It definitely did! And by mid-afternoon I was feeling back to normal again.

This was the first time since those initial hard days at the beginning where I thought “I don’t think I can continue with this”. But as soon as I no longer felt sick, I was fine again and knew I could continue as long as I needed to. I think it helps that I’ve read a lot about the MC and knew that this was probably just a heavy detox day. As well as Stanley Burroughs’ original book “The Master Cleanse”, I also have Peter Glickman’s “Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days” where he goes through in detail all about the MC. Over the years and through various cleanses, this book has been invaluable because whenever you think you’re ready to throw in the towel, Peter gives an explanation as to why you might be feeling like this Plus I had to tell myself, “what is the other option today”.... I could break the cleanse early with orange juice, but the thought of orange juice was making me feel even more sick, so the only option was to power through. And by a couple of hours later I was so so pleased that I had and then went on to complete another day.

So here I am on Day 34 and feeling ready to go on for a while longer.

Hope everyone has a good week.

I’ll check in again in a few days.

Bye x

Day 38

Good morning! Today is day 38 and I’m pleased to report I’m still going strong

I found it quite tough for the last 4 days because I was so so cold!!!! This has happened before on the MC but I’d forgotten just how cold to the bone you can feel. Every day at work I’d be longing to get home just so that I could run a hot bath, put on my pjs and snuggle in front of the tv with a blanket! I got through it and yesterday I started to feel a bit warmer, and I was very grateful for this. Ive always been a person that feels the cold more than others and so it was making me quite miserable to feel so uncomfortable.

The other issue I’ve had is some heartburn after my last lemonade of the day. This is probably my own fault as I don’t drink enough water in between the lemonades, so I will try to do this, but I’m finding it so hard to even contemplate putting any more liquids in my body... I already feel like I’m afloat!

I’ve increased my oil pulling to twice a day (in the morning after my hot water & lemon, and then in the evening after my lax tea). This is in an effort to try and reduce the tongue coating, freshen my breath and stop the gum sensitivity I’m having. I have to say, already my teeth are looking whiter and shinier, so I’m going to keep this up after the cleanse.

The food cravings seem to have totally gone (well, in waking hours anyway!), but the strong vivid dreams remain and have mainly consisted of me eating lots and lots of stuff and waking up feeling like I’ve broken the cleanse! I really don’t know how many more times I can dream of biscuits, cakes and ice cream!!! Oh dear! But at least it’s just dreaming, I should be grateful for that.

I’m definitely feeling slimmer and noticing that my “big” clothes that I hide under are getting very baggy.

Here are my current stats:

Start weight: 12 stone (168 pounds)
Current weight: 9 stone 11 pounds (137 pounds)
Goal weight: 8 stone (112 pounds)

So I’ve lost 31 pounds since the start and I’m very very happy about this! I’m hoping to lose another 11 pounds on the MC and then the remainder in the transition months following the cleanse.

Hope everyone is having a good week.

Bye x

Day 41

Good morning! It’s day 41 and I am officially in unchartered territory! On previous cleanses that I’ve done, if I’ve ever got to this point then today would be OJ day. But not today! I’ve decided to keep going for a while longer as I don’t feel ready to finish yet. I’ve been thinking in 10 day chunks so far and seeing how I feel when I get to each milestone, but now that I’ve done 40 days I’m going to check in with myself in 5 day chunks. So I’ll re-assess on day 45 and see if I want to continue to 50.

The last few days were fine, except for day 38 - I felt bloated all day and even a little uncomfortable at bed time that I found it difficult to sleep. This is the first time I’ve had this since those initial first few horrid days on the cleanse, so I was surprised to feel like this. However, I think it was just a heavy detox day and my body was releasesing more toxins. After my swf the next morning I felt fine again.

The positives I’ve noticed so far on these 40 days are:

• My depression has completely gone! For the first time in months and months I actually feel really positive (and even excited!) about what the future holds and I no longer have the black cloud hanging over me. This in itself is reason enough for me to want to do the cleanse, as I can’t tell you how awful it is to feel a sense of despair that you can’t shake. I now feel happy and enthusiastic for life! The depression started to shift about about day 10, and has got better with each passing day. I am truly grateful for this.

• Weight loss. So far I have lost 2st 5lbs (which is 33 pounds). I’m starting to feel like my old self again, and even though I know I’ve still got a way to go to look and feel like I used to, just being able to see changes in myself on a daily basis is such an amazing motivator to continue and carry on being healthy long after the cleanse has ended.

• My hair is growing longer and thicker day by day! I’ve always had very slow growing, thin, hair but the MC is doing something to it and it feels fuller every single day. I’m also not shedding as much as I would normally. This is a very very positive side effect for me

• I’m sleeping so much better. Sometimes it might take me a little while to actually fall asleep but once I’m out I seem to have such a deep sleep and wake up feeling refreshed. Before the MC I could sleep for a long time and still wake up feeling like it was never enough.

• My nails are growing stronger and longer all the time. They hardly break and they look so healthy too.

• Lots of free time. I don’t think we realise just how much time is spent thinking about, preparing, cooking and eating food, until we are just not doing it whilst on the MC. I have sooooo much time in an evening when I get in from work. I think I’ll be sad when I have to devote a couple of hours a day to food prep/cooking once the MC is over! So I’m definitely making the most of my extra time and reading, relaxing, watching tv, catching up on jobs in my house, eBaying unwanted clutter etc etc.

• Strong sense of smell. Actually, this probably isn’t a positive! But I really do have a heightened sense of smell since being on the MC, I can literally describe in detail what someone is eating. This can be hard sometimes, especially when you’re trying so hard NOT to think about food too much!

• Wanting healthy food. My cravings for food have definitely shifted over the last 6 weeks. Before it was all about biscuits, cakes, ice cream etc etc and now I’m craving fresh crunchy salads, juicy mango and warming veggie soups. This to me is an amazing turn around and goes to show that I’ve completely changed my mental state since starting the cleanse.

Here are my current stats:

Start weight: 12 stone (168 pounds)
Current weight: 9 stone 9 pounds (135 pounds)
Goal weight: 8 stone (112 pounds)

I’ll check back in on Day 45.

Bye for now x

Day 45

Good morning! It’s Day 45 and I can’t quite believe that I’ve come this far! I’m still determined to carry on until I get the pink tongue, but I know that the absolute longest I will do is 60 days. However, I’m taking it a day at a time so if I wake up tomorrow and decide that it’s enough, then I will go with that.

I have added in a small addition to the MC and some people may think that it’s not doing the cleanse properly, while others tend to be of the opinion that it helps do a deeper cleanse. Since day 41 I’ve been having one shot of wheatgrass every day. I have it a few hours after the SWF and hot water and lemon, but before my first lemonade. There’s a place around the corner from my work so I pop in there on my way to the office. I’d heard that when you have the shot you should swill it around your mouth and gums and I’ve really noticed a difference in my gum health and they’re not as sensitive since I’ve been doing this for a few days. I plan to continue with the wheatgrass shots long after I finish the cleanse as I’ve read so many amazing things and the list of benefits seems to be endless

I wanted to mention today something that I hope will help people thinking about or preparing to do a cleanse. Just because I’ve come this far this time, doesn’t mean that I’m successful every time I start a cleanse. Oh no, far from it in fact. There have been far more failed attempts than successes that’s for sure! However, I’m of the firm belief that you only ever actually fail if you stop trying! Plus, you can fail many many times and you only need to be successful once to make a difference in your life.

For me, I feel the key to having a successful cleanse (and maintaining the elevated state of health afterwards) is all about mental preparation. There have been so so so many times that I’ve started the MC with the wrong mindset, for example, “I’m feeling unhealthy and overweight and I’ve got a holiday to go on in 2 weeks, so I’ll do a 10 day MC and feel better by the time I go”. This is doomed to fail for a couple of reasons, first of all the timing is not long enough, and by this I mean the “after” part. You may well complete a successful cleanse and 4 day post-cleanse and may even have lost weight and feel good, but for me the “holiday mindset” is that I can go away and indulge in whatever I want, lay around and relax and not move a lot. This is the worst combination when your body has been on a very limited number of calories for 2 weeks. It’s a recipe for disaster because I will come back from my holiday feeling and looking worse than when I started the MC and with absolutely no desire to go through the difficult cleanse again because I just can’t face it. Yet somehow I convince myself that the cleanse will work for me again and so I start, then fail after a couple of days, then try again and fail again until I finally decide that I’m not going to try again for a while until the timing and my mental strength is back. There’s a reason why we’re told to do the MC a few times a year (not a few times a month!). So you see, it wasn’t the MC that failed or even that I failed the MC, I just went into it with the wrong mindset and wasn’t looking at the long term picture.

I’ve realised that the positive health turnaround and weight loss do happen quickly with the MC but in order to maintain these health benefits long term, there has to be enough time AFTER the cleanse and also you should have a plan in place as to what you’re going to do (how you’re going to eat, exercise etc). And the key to this is to take it SLOWLY, even slower than you think you need. The times that I’ve been successful on the cleanse are when I’ve given the MC the time and respect and the aftercare that it needs.

For example, if I want to do a 10 day cleanse, I know I need at least 4 to 6 weeks clear to do pre-cleanse, 10 day mc and then build back up my calories and eating. I can’t think “right, I’ve got an event in 2 weeks, I’ll do 10 days and 4 days breaking the cleanse then on day 15 I can have what I want!” Your body goes into shock, binge eating and self sabotage mode and you end up worse off than if you hadn’t even attempted the cleanse.

I’m not saying all this to put anyone off from doing the cleanse, and of course not everyone will be from a binge-eating background so it may not apply to them, but I just feel that your head has to be in the right zone and then your body can follow. And for all the people out there, like me, that have had many many false starts, or have fallen back into bad habits straight away after a cleanse, know that you can do it and succeed with some preparation and finding the right time that works for you. You can do it!

Current stats:
Start Weight: 12 stone (168 pounds)
Current Weight: 9 stone 7.5 pounds (133.5 pounds)
Long term Goal Weight: 8 stone (112 pounds)

Anyway, I’ll check back on Day 50 (or before if I feel that the time is right to finish).

Bye x

Day 50

Good morning! It’s day 50 (DAY 50!!). I can’t believe that I’ve come this far. And yet, I’m still ready to go a little longer. I don’t have a pink tongue yet and I’m still having some various detox symptoms so I feel that to stop now wouldn’t be wise.

I’ve had quite a strong metallic taste in my mouth for the past couple of days. I wonder if this has been brought on by the wheatgrass, but who knows. Also on Day 46 I had a bad headache in the evening, then in the morning of Day 47 I had a burning BM (which I haven’t had since the first couple of weeks on the MC) and then my headache was gone. On the morning of Day 48 I had a fairly solid BM!! I really didn’t think that was possible given how far into the cleanse I am, so you can imagine my surprise! (Apologies for the detail )

I’m having fewer and fewer dreams about food now. These were nightly occurrences up until recently but now maybe every four days food appears in my dreams. I feel like I’m finally on my way to breaking the bad relationship with food that I’ve had my entire adult life. I’m so so pleased that this is happening. I feel like I’m breaking the spell and I couldn’t be happier

I’ve really been focusing on my plan of action for after the cleanse as to me this is the most important part of the cleanse and I want to carry on feeling good and not undo all of my hard work. After all, ive been healing and rebuilding my body from the inside out, so I’m not just going to let loose because the detox has finished. I’ve been thinking about my “post cleanse” and what I’ll do to achieve further weight loss to get to my goal weight and ensure I don’t put all the weight I’ve lost back on. However, I’ve come to the realisation that when you do something like this, you do sort of wish your life away and I’m sure I will continue doing this for a while on my “post cleanse” programme as I reach my little milestones of introducing various food back into my day “ooh, only x more days until I can have x” etc. Because that really is how I’ve been living for the past 7+ weeks... “just get through the next few days and it will be easier.... just get through to 10 days... just get through to 20 days...” and so it goes on.

I’m really looking forward (see, I’m doing it again) to the time after the cleanse when I’m eating lots of variety, feeling satisfied with my food and hopefully living in the moment rather than “just get through it”.

Here’s an update on my stats:

Start weight: 12 stone (168 pounds)
Current weight: 9 stone 5 pounds (131 pounds)
Goal weight: 8 stone (112 pounds)

I’ll check back in a few days and keep you updated.
Have a great day.
Bye x

Day 55

Good morning! It’s Day 55 of my cleanse. I really can’t believe that I’m typing this, it feels so strange to have come this far. The elusive pink tongue is still not showing up, so I’ve decided that Saturday (Day 60) will be my last day, no matter what happens in the tongue department

Nothing much to report as the last five days have been pretty steady and much the same as before. Although one difference is I am starting to get a little hungry just before going to bed. This to me is a sign that my cleanse should be finishing up, as I haven’t had any hunger since those first few days at the start.

I really do feel like I’ve made some breakthroughs, both in my relationship to food and also my emotional and spiritual mindset, and it has definitely strengthened my relationship with God. This cleanse has been pretty life changing as far as my thought process is concerned, and that in itself has made it a super successful and worthwhile experience. I don’t think I’d ever do such a long cleanse again (and I’m hoping I won’t need to if I can implement some significant changes in my long term health and maintenance plan), but I definitely plan to do a 10 day MC every 6 to 12 months to keep my health up and my focus strong. To me, it really is about pressing the “reset button” and giving my mind and body a fresh start.

So I will be back in a few days to follow up.

In the meantime, here are my current stats:

Start weight: 12 stone (168 pounds)
Current weight: 9 stone 2.5 pounds (128.5 pounds)
Goal weight: 8 stone (112 pounds)

Bye for now x

Day 60

Good morning! It is officially my LAST day on the MC... Day 60!!! I just have to get through today! I am very proud of myself for reaching this milestone and coming this far (both mentally and physically). This has been such a life changing experience for me and I will forever be truly thankful that the MC came into my life and has brought with it so many positive changes and realisations. It’s been tough and challenging but that has brought with it so much mental clarity and completely changed my mindset from deep dark depression, to light and happiness, but also more than that, an excitement and wonder about what the future holds.

The physical changes are also paramount too. I really feel like I have healed and repaired my body from the inside out and I am excited to continue making progress in the next few months too.

My plan for the next 12 weeks is to take things VERY slowly as I increase my calories and introduce healthy whole foods back into my daily life. I’m going to take baby steps as I know that the hardest part of a cleanse is the re-feeding period that follows. I’m going to treat my body like a newborn baby’s and really be gentle and careful with what I put inside it over these coming weeks. I also hope to get to my goal weight during these 12 weeks.

This is my three part plan and what I’ll be doing:

Month 1 - “Breaking the Fast”
• Increase my calories VERY slowly by 50 every 2 days
• Consume a liquid only diet for the first two weeks (juice, broth, soups, smoothies)
• Consume fruit and vegetables only for the next 2 weeks (raw, steamed, cooked, dried etc)
• Take probiotics, aloe vera juice, wheatgrass juice, psyllium husk, apple cider vinegar daily
• Exercise: decrease my steps to 10,000 a day and add in at-home dvd workouts

Month 2 - “Re-Feeding”
• Keep increasing my calories slowly (perhaps by 50 each day)
• Add in more foods but no dairy, gluten, refined sugar, or processed foods.
• Stick to a whole foods diet, with lots of fruit and veg, bone broth (for its gut healing properties), lentils, beans, whole grains, coconut oil, nuts, nut milks, seeds, fermented foods and occasional fish, chicken and eggs.
• Add in some more supplements eg ashwaghanda, co-q10, magnesium, vit D, B vits
• Exercise: 10,000 steps a day and at-home dvd workouts -I like the Beach Body ones the best

Month 3 - “Transition”
• Carry on increasing my calories until I find my stable amount
• Add in all other foods so that I am eating a wide variety and nothing is restricted. Try to adopt an 80:20 approach (ie 80% super healthy, whole foods, organic where possible. 20% indulgent to keep a nice balance in my life.
• Exercise: as above

After this 12 week post-cleanse period, then I plan to carry on with the 80:20 approach to eating. Ie 80% organic, highly nutritious, wholefoods diet, 20% indulgent to allow more flexibility and prevent bingeing. I will alternate weeks, one week I will count calories, one week I will eat intuitively. I also plan to do a 10 day master cleanse every 6 to 12 months.

I’m hoping that by having a plan, this will keep me on track and I will really get all the benefits from doing the cleanse and the “after” part too.

So I will be back tomorrow to share my first day post cleanse. In the meantime, here are my current stats:

Start weight: 12 stone (168 pounds)
Current weight: 8 stone 13.5 pounds (125.5 pounds)
Goal weight: 8 stone (112 pounds)

Bye for now x

Day 1 Post Cleanse

Today has been wonderful! It was my first day after finishing the cleanse and the taste of the (diluted) orange juice was the most amazing thing ever! I loved it! I actually made the juice from organic clementines as they were on offer, and I blended them in my nutribullet to make sure I was getting all the goodness in. I then added spring water and it was so so good.

I had my last lax tea last night and my last salt water flush this morning to flush out any toxins from Day 60 of the cleanse. I can honestly say, I’m not going to miss either of those things and I’m quite happy to say goodbye to them! I did a weigh in this morning and took my measurements and my weight is the same as yesterday meaning that I have lost 42.5 pounds since I started the cleanse on the 4th February. I have also lost a whopping 11 inches off my waist! I’ve got 13.5 pounds left to lose to get to my goal weight, and I’m hoping to achieve that over the next 3 months when I complete my “12 Week Post Cleanse Plan”.

So this is what I had today:-

• Salt water flush
• 32oz hot water and 1/2 squeezed lemon
• 100mls aloe vera juice & 1tsp psyllium husk powder
• wheatgrass shot
• Clementine juice diluted with water
• lemonade (made with 1tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, cayenne)
• 100mls aloe Vera juice & 1 tsp psylliums husk powder
• Nighttime tea (lavender, chamomile, rose & holy basil)
• 50billion probiotic
• About 32oz extra water
Total calories: 400 (this is an increase of 50 from the MC days)

I also did 10,000 steps.

I’m feeling so happy and excited already for the same again tomorrow (minus the salt water flush! Yippee!)

Bye x

Day 2 Post Cleanse

So this is what I had today:-

• 32oz hot water and 1/2 squeezed lemon
• 100mls aloe vera juice & 1tsp psyllium husk powder
• wheatgrass shot
• Clementine juice diluted with water
• lemonade (made with 1tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, cayenne)
• 100mls aloe Vera juice & 1 tsp psylliums husk powder
• Nighttime tea (lavender, chamomile, rose & holy basil)
• 50billion probiotic

Total calories: 400

I also did 10,000 steps, plus an at-home dvd workout this morning.

I felt a little bloated today but that’s because I haven’t had a bM, so I think my tummy is just getting used to the different things I’ve had for the past 2 days. I’m really looking forward to having the broth tomorrow and increasing my calories by another 50.

I’ll check back in at the end of day 4 post cleanse.

Bye for now x

Day 3 and Day 4 Post Cleanse

Hello. It’s the evening of Day 4 Post Cleanse and I will just run through quickly what I’ve had for the last 2 days. It was the same on both Day 3 and Day 4:-

• 1 litre hot water and 1/2 squeezed lemon & pinch of pink Himalayan salt
• 100mls aloe vera juice & 1tsp psyllium husk powder
• wheatgrass shot
• Clementine juice diluted with water
• Vegetable broth with turmeric
• lemonade (made with 1tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, cayenne)
• 100mls aloe Vera juice & 1 tsp psylliums husk powder
• Nighttime tea (lavender, chamomile, rose & holy basil)
• 50billion probiotic
• About 1 litre extra water
Total calories: 450

I also did 10,000 steps and my at home workout dvd

It was so lovely to have the vegetable broth for lunch, it was like a hug in a mug. It was so warming and comforting and I really loved it. As you can see, I’m going SUPER slowly and introducing new things gently and taking my time. My hunger has been satiated by the regular amounts of liquids and juices etc I’ve been having through the day, so my appetite has been under control.

I’m really enjoying adding in the exercise dvds and feeling the aches muscle feeling the day after. I’m feeling slightly more toned already and it’s only been a few days of adding in exercise.

I’ll pop back at the end of Day 6 Post Cleanse to update you.

Bye x

Day 5 and Day 6 Post Cleanse

Hello. It’s the evening of Day 6 Post Cleanse and I will just run through quickly what I’ve had for the last 2 days. It was the same on both Day 5 and Day 6:-

• 1 litre hot water and 1/2 squeezed lemon & pinch of pink Himalayan salt
• 100mls aloe vera juice & 1tsp psyllium husk powder
• wheatgrass shot
• green juice (cucumber, celery, spinach, fennel & lemon)
• Clementine juice
• Vegetable broth with turmeric
• lemonade (made with 1tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, cayenne)
• 100mls aloe Vera juice & 1 tsp psylliums husk powder
• Vegetable broth with Thai spices
• Nighttime tea (lavender, chamomile, rose & holy basil)
• 50billion probiotic
• About 1 litre extra water
Total calories: 500

I also did 10,000 steps and my at home workout dvd.

My appetite is definitely starting to come back now. I have been having lots of different juices and broth a couple of times a day, so I feel like I’m able to satisfy my hunger by spacing out everything so that I only go a few hours in between meals. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow when I can have some soup. I’m going to make broccoli, cauliflower and leek soup and I can’t wait! Simple pleasures eh!

The exercise programme is going well and I feel like I have plenty of energy for my morning workouts. I’m looking forward to seeing the results of toning up after 12 weeks of consistent exercise.

I’ll pop back at the end of Day 8 Post Cleanse to update you and will do a weigh in too to see how that is going.

Bye x

Day 7 and Day 8 Post Cleanse

Hello. It’s the early evening of Day 8 Post Cleanse. Here’s a quick run through of what I’ve had for the last 2 days. It was the same on both Day 7 and Day 8:-

• 1 litre hot water and 1/2 squeezed lemon & pinch of pink Himalayan salt
• 100mls aloe vera juice & 1tsp psyllium husk powder
• wheatgrass shot
• green juice (cucumber, celery, spinach, fennel & lemon)
• Clementine juice
• Homemade vegetable soup (cauliflower, broccoli, leek, spinach, miso paste and some spices)
• lemonade (made with 1tbsp maple syrup, 2 tbsp lemon juice, cayenne)
• 100mls aloe Vera juice & 1 tsp psyllium husk powder
• leftover vegetable soup from lunchtime
• Nighttime tea (lavender, chamomile, rose & holy basil)
• 50billion probiotic, digestive enzyme capsule
• About 1 litre extra water
Total calories: 550

I also did 10,000 steps and some yoga.

As you can see, I’m still taking it very slowly and introducing things a bit at a time. I’m still slowly increasing my calories too so I don’t overload my body. I think by going so slowly it’s really making me fully appreciate each new food that I add in. The vegetable soup today was like heaven in a bowl, it was satisfying, warming and delicious!

I did a weigh in this morning to see how I’m doing post cleanse and I had lost 5.5 pounds this week! I couldn’t quite believe it. I’m getting so close to my goal weight, just another 8 pounds to go. Here are my stats:

Start weight: 12 stone (168 pounds)
Weight after the master cleanse: 8 stone 13.5 pounds (125.5 pounds)
Current weight: 8 stone 8 pounds (120 pounds)
Goal weight: 8 stone (112 pounds)

I’ll be back in a couple of days to check in.

Bye x