Stanley Burroughs’ Master Cleanse Diet
The Master Cleanse is a 10-day fast that is used for detox and weight loss purposes. It has also been called the Master Cleanser Diet after the original book that described it, the Lemonade Diet, the Maple Syrup Diet, and the Cayenne Pepper Diet after some of the ingredients used, and the Beyoncé Diet after its most famous fan.
Although the Master Cleanse is often referred to as a fast, it’s not really a complete fast, in that up to 1,300 calories are consumed each day in the form of sugars from the ingredients in the beverage that Master Cleansers prepare and drink.
Background
The Master Cleanse was originally developed in 1940 as a stomach ulcer cure by alternative health practitioner Stanley Burroughs (1903-1991). In 1976 Burroughs presented his diet in a book, The Master Cleanser, by which time he was promoting the diet not only for ulcers, but for weight loss and “every kind of disease,” claiming it would lead to “the correction of all disorders.” The book is a disorganized, difficult-to-decipher jumble, and in 2004 a fan of the diet, Peter Glickman, published his more comprehensible version in the book Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days, dubbing it the “Lemonade Diet.” Glickman’s book revived the diet’s popularity.
Neither Burroughs nor Glickman was a physician or medical researcher. Burroughs promoted a number of alternative practices beyond the Master Cleanse, including light therapy, deep massage, and reflexology, and he was a practicing nudist and vegetarian. He was convicted of practicing medicine without a license and imprisoned, and he was convicted of second degree murder, later overturned, for his role in the death of a desperate leukemia patient, whose cancer Burroughs tried to cure with the Master Cleanse and other practices. Glickman is a software engineer cum chiropractor who has promoted the medically rejected practice of chelation.
Among the celebrities who have been reported to have used the diet are Beyonce Knowles, who lost 20 pounds in two weeks for her role in the movie Dreamgirls, and Howard Stern sidekick Robin Quivers, who was quoted in People magazine that she heard about it from magician David Blaine and used it on three occasions while reducing her weight to 145 pounds from 218 pounds. Actor Jared Leto used the Master Cleanse to lose the 60 or so pounds that he had gained for his role as John Lennon’s killer Mark David Chapman. Singers Ashanti and Trina have also been connected with the diet. Moses and Jesus both reportedly underwent a pre-Burroughs 40-day version of the diet, not involving lemonade or laxatives.
Does it Work?
Does the diet work for weight loss? If you follow the instructions, it most certainly will work. Any fast will cause you to lose weight, because you aren’t eating food. The Master Cleanse in the strict sense is not a fast because you drink a considerable amount of sugar-containing lemonade, about 650 to 1,300 calories worth per day, depending on the number of glasses you drink. Thus you will have a daily calorie deficit: Most non-overweight people need from 1,600 to 2,400 calories per day to maintain their weight (women will be on the lower end of that range). If you are overweight, you are probably consuming more than that to maintain your weight.
As an example, if you normally eat 2,150 calories, and you choose the extreme 650-calorie version of the Master Cleanse, you will have a 1,500-calorie deficit, losing three pounds of fat per week (and perhaps some water weight also). (There may be other factors that will affect this result.) Many reputable diets prescribe a two-pound per week loss, so in this sense the Master Cleanse is actually not that radical: it just substitutes lemonade for real food and adds the shock effect of constant colon cleansing.
Is is Dangerous?
Most medical authorities don’t believe that a few days of fasting will harm you (and the Master Cleanse is more of a low-calorie, nutrient deficient diet than a fast). But longer periods will begin to deplete muscle, and your heart is among the muscles that will suffer — not a good thing. In addition, longer fasts can damage your kidneys and liver. Where is the safe cut-off point? We can’t really say.
Less is known about the long-term effects of 10 days or more of salt-water laxative use.
About This Detox Stuff
Most people today, deep down, are interested in the Master Cleanse primarily for its get-skinny-quick aspect, although they rarely admit it. But there is also a detox component. What about detox?
There’s no evidence that our bodies contain excessive toxins of the sort Burroughs discusses, and there’s no evidence that detox diets flush out anything bad in your body. Many of our organs, including the liver, kidneys, lungs, and the intestines, are very efficient filters that expel toxins. There are toxins that may be trapped in fat cells or the lungs, but this sort of diet does not help with expelling those.
We’ve included some quotes from Stanley Burroughs at the end of this article so you can read for yourself how naive and outdated his medical theories were.
How to Do the Master Cleanse
In a nutshell, the Master Cleanse is this:
- The diet takes at least 10 days (up to 40 days, the period of time that Jesus fasted after his baptism, as Burroughs points out)
- The only nourishment that you take is a special lemonade concoction made from lemon juice, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, and water, six to twelve glasses per day, each glass containing about 110 calories in sugar carbohydrates
- An herbal laxative tea is drunk at night and a quart of salt water is drunk first thing in the morning, resulting in several liquid bowel movements every day — you need to always be near a toilet when you do this diet, and you need to stock up on toilet paper
- You come off the diet by transitioning to solid food over a few days, ideally becoming a raw food vegetarian in Stanley Burroughs’ version of the diet
Master Cleanse kits are available from Peter Glickman
The Master Cleanse Lemonade
The lemonade is prepared by mixing the ingredients in this free recipe:
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Burroughs recommends organic lemons, fresh, not bottled juice. Limes may be substituted. Lemon zest and pulp may be added, making sure that the lemons are organic and not artificially colored or treated with pesticides.
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. This must be pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Burroughs recommends the darker Grade B, which has more color and nutrients than Grade A, which is also acceptable. He goes into aspects of maple syrup production that would be difficult for the average person to investigate, such as whether formaldehyde or plastic tubing is used (not recommended by Burroughs).
- 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Burroughs insists that cayenne chili pepper be used, but permits ramping up from a lesser amount if the taste needs getting used to.
- Water. Burroughs recommends a 10-ounce glass of medium hot water, but also allows cold water to be used. Some have interpreted “10-ounce glass” to mean 8 ounces of actual water. Since Burroughs also allows plain water to be drunk during the fast in addition to the lemonade, this doesn’t seem important.
An alternative to the lemonade endorsed by Burroughs substitutes 10 ounces of fresh sugarcane juice for the lemon juice and water. But few people are going to have access to fresh, organic sugar cane juice. Some people who can not stomach the maple syrup taste have substituted an equal number of calories of powdered sugarcane or organic cane sugar, available from some health food stores (one user described it as tasting like pond scum, worse than the maple syrup).
Things to Avoid at All Costs
Burroughs strongly counsels against the use of honey in the lemonade or the consumption at any time of honey, which he describes as predigested bee vomit, popular only among “gullible health foodists.”
Burroughs also cautions against taking any kind of supplements or vitamin pills or using illicit drugs. Although Glickman wisely recommends against going off any prescription medications without your doctor’s approval, it’s unclear what Burroughs’ opinion was on this point. He reprints without comment an endorsement from a follower who relates how he quit his medications for blood pressure, nerves, and lack of energy during his fast. And Burroughs was generally against traditional medicine in general, discouraging a leukemia patient from getting a bone marrow transplant. And an alternative version of the Master Cleanse for diabetics described in the book recommends that the diabetic phase out insulin during the diet. In another context in the book Burroughs rails against “the unnatural action of drugs and antibiotics,” saying they store “poisons in the body.” But we’re with Glickman on this one.
You shouldn’t smoke or drink alcohol, coffee, tea, cola, but the good news is that your cravings for them will completely disappear, according to Burroughs. Burroughs allows the consumption of extra plain water and of mint tea.
No other food or drink should be consumed at all, say both Burroughs and Glickman.
The Colon Blaster
There are two preparations needed to induce colon cleansing.
- Laxative herb tea. Although Burroughs is quite specific about types and amounts of lemons and maple syrup, on the subject of laxative herb teas he simply suggests without further elaboration that you should buy any good brand offered by your health food store.
- Internal salt water bathing solution. Dissolve two teaspoons of uniodized sea salt in a quart of lukewarm water.
The laxative herb tea and the salt water are the one-two punch that will keep your colon in full-time Old Faithful mode during the diet, cleansing it clean as a whistle.
During the Diet
To begin the diet you need to choose the minimum number of days that you are going to attempt, steel yourself for what is to come, and follow the following daily routine.
Day 0 (the day before beginning the diet):
Purchase lemons, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, laxative herbal tea, and sea salt in sufficient quantities to last the duration of your cleanse.
Purchase a large supply of toilet paper and Tucks® brand witch hazel wipes. If you share your bathroom with others, agree on a unque emergency code phrase like “It’s coming,” “Dr. Livingston, I presume,” or “Elvis is leaving the building” to alert other members of your household that you need them to vacate the bathroom quickly; also, consider purchasing a supply of adult diapers.
The night before beginning the diet, drink some laxative herbal tea, and retire for the evening.
Days 1 through 10 (and Beyond):
- In the morning before drinking any lemonade, drink a quart of salt water (remain near a toilet).
- During the day drink 6 to 12 glasses of the Master Cleanse lemonade concoction. The lower number of 6 glasses is recommended for those seeking weight loss. The higher number is fine for those interested mostly in detoxification.
- In the evening drink some herbal laxative tea.
- You may experience dizziness, vomiting, joint pain, and weakness. You will also be really hungry. After several days many Master Cleanse dieters report entering a state of bliss that is either the result of the continuing elimination of toxins, or else a state similar to the tranquil experience that people who are starving to death have shortly before dying.
Note: Over the years since Stanley Burroughs’ death variations of the original Master Cleanse described here have developed, and attempts at clarifying ambiguous points have been made. Peter Glickman’s book, as well as this popular internet based book, deal with some of these modifications to the Master Cleanse orthodoxy.
Post Diet: Breaking the Fast
When are you through with the diet? Either when you reach the number of days that you planned, or alternately, when your tongue goes from “coated and fuzzy” to a clear pink color.
Burroughs outlines a gentle approach for coming off the diet without upsetting your digestive system excessively. Although Burroughs recommends that you become a practicing raw foodist vegetarian after the diet to avoid recontamination with toxic dead animal flesh, he does provide an alternative transition plan for omnivores.
Vegetarian Transition Process
- Days 1 and 2: Drink several 8-ounce glasses of orange juice, sipping slowly, diluting it if there is digestive distress.
- Day 3: Drink orange juice in the morning, eat raw fruit for lunch, and eat fruit or raw salad for dinner.
- Day 4: You may return to your normal diet.
Omnivore Transition Process
- Day 1: Drink several 8-ounce glasses of orange juice, sipping slowly, diluting it if there is digestive distress.
- Day 2: Drink orange juice during the morning and afternoon. For dinner prepare a homemade vegetable soup (recipe below). Mostly sip the broth, and do not eat much of the vegetables.
- Day 3: Drink orange juice in the morning, have leftover vegetable soup for lunch with 4 rye crackers (no regular crackers or bread), and eat fresh raw vegetables, salad, and fruit for dinner. Do not yet eat meat, fish, eggs, bread, pastries or drink tea, coffee, or milk.
- Day 4 and beyond: You may return to your normal diet, but Burroughs recommends continuing to drink the lemonade concoction at breakfast on a permanent basis. And he really wants you to go vegetarian, if at all possible.
The Omnivore Vegetarian Soup Recipe
Ingredients:
- 2 varieties of beans, 1/2 cup each (kidney beans, lentils, pinto beans, or other)
- 1 medium potato, half-inch cubes
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 small bunch turnip greens, spinach, mustard greens or other green
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 medium tomatoes
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- Other vegetables as desired
- No meat
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- vegetarian soup powder or cube (optional)
Preparation:
Combine ingredients with 4 cups water, bring to a simmer, cook 20 minutes or until potatoes and beans are tender, adding water along the way if necessary.
Protein and the Master Cleanse
The Master Cleanse provides several hundred calories of carbohydrate per day in the form of lemon and maple sugar, and Burroughs’ recommended vegetarian diet excludes “toxic dead animal flesh.” What about protein? In the case of protein, Burroughs says that there is no need to worry: protein is simply nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. The air contains all these elements. Simple by breathing “we are able to assimilate and build the nitrogen also into our bodies as protein … by natural bacteria action….” But just to be on the safe side, Burroughs also recommends eating nuts and seeds after the Master Cleanse.
Beyond the Master Cleanse
In addition to promoting his lemonade concoction as being useful for detoxification, weight loss, and the cure of ulcers and leukemia, Burroughs also recommended it as a baby formula. Mother’s milk is best, but when not available Burroughs recommended feeding babies freshly prepared coconut milk, with the lemonade concoction given between coconut milk feedings, diluted a bit if the cayenne pepper upsets the baby. When the baby is weaned, it should be fed vegetarian foods like fruit, vegetables, berries, and seeds, sweetened with maple syrup.
Burroughs also writes of his 10- to 30-day treatment for dropsy (edema), which involves going on the Master Cleanse, and then being buried in 100-pounds of coarse rock salt purchased from a feed store, followed by steam baths.
Quotations from Stanley Burroughs
On germs, viruses and epidemics:
“In recent times it has been believed that these many diseases are contagious and that germs have spread them….
“Disease, old age, and death are the result of accumulated poisons and congestion throughout the entire body. These toxins become crystallized and hardened, settling around the joints, in the muscles, and throughout the billions of cells all through the body … Lumps and growths are formed all over the body as storage spots for unusable and accumulated wast products … These growths and lumps appear to us as forms of fungi….
“When we stop feeding this fungi and cleanse our system … they dissolve or break up and pass from the body…. Germs and viruses do not and cannot cause any of our diseases … Germs and viruses are in the body to help break down waste material and can do no harm to healthy tissues….
“Basically, all of our diseases are created by ourselves because we have never taken the time to discover the true foods meant for man’s use.
“Since germs do not cause our disorders, there must be another logical reason for the triggering of an epidemic. This is a matter of simple ‘vibration.’ The better the physical and mental condition a person is in, the higher becomes his vibration, but as he steadily becomes clogged with more and more waste matter, his vibration goes constantly downward….”
On his imprisonment for practicing medicine without a license:
“After dedicating a goodly share of my past life in perfecting and simplifying a system of healing that is completely free from error and side effects, at a very low cost, I was forced to overcome many difficult obstacles that often threatened to stop me, but I persisted in spite of the medical and legal attacks. I was told in each case I was doing too much good, and to keep me from giving the help that solved their health problems I was sent to prison so I couldn’t help anyone any more. But … many of the guards, nurses and even doctors [in prison] came to me for help that no other system could [offer]. In prison I was not competing with their medical rackets, but on the outside I hurt their con games. If my system was made legal, the medical system would be of no further need.”
Stanley Burroughs: 1903-1991
Stanley Burroughs passed away in Newcastle, California, on June 16, 1991, at the age of 87, after a two-week battle against acute pneumonia. His death certificate also mentions leg fractures, apparently from a fall, and a urinary infection, as contributing conditions to his death. No autopsy was performed.
His profession was listed as a railroad industry office clerk.
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July 17th, 2008 at 8:17 am
This sort of pseudoscientific mumbo-jumbo is not merely wrong; it’s actually dangerous.
Anyone willing to take diet advice from a man who didn’t even acknowledge that germs make people sick is treading a dangerous knife-edge of stupidity.
Please keep your articles to medically-responsible subjects.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:16 am
From your irritable tone, Warren, I sense that your vibrations are in need of realignment via a detox, as well as some light therapy and a deep massage while buried in rock salt.
July 17th, 2008 at 9:52 am
How d’you think I got so crusty to begin with?
July 17th, 2008 at 10:06 am
My wife and I have been doing Stanley Burrough’s Master Cleanse
for the past 15 years. It works wonders in both helping with weight-loss
as well as giving you that great feeling of being “cleansed” after 12
days of not eating. Although it takes a lot of “will-power” to go the full
10 days (plus 2 days of Orange Juice), you’ll be quite pleased with
the results.
July 17th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I used to do the Master Cleanse twice a year. I eventually quit doing it because I got the same benefits (it got rid of my belly bloat and gas pain, made my skin clearer and made me feel more energized) from sticking to unprocessed foods and avoiding grains, sugar, and most dairy. The effects are more consistent and longer lasting, too.
A word of warning for those considering trying this - lemon juice exacerbates tooth sensitivity. If you already have sensitive teeth, DO NOT do the Master Cleanse. Even if you don’t have a problem with sensitivity, rinse your mouth with water after drinking the lemonade.
July 17th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
i’m scared!!
July 17th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
So how did Burroughs die?
July 17th, 2008 at 9:33 pm
“So how did Burroughs die?”
Good question. Hopefully not from one of the many diseases he claimed that he could cure. Maybe a traffic accident?!
We’re contacting the vital statistics department in the California county where he died, and we should have some more details within a month or two (depending on the bureaucracy), which we will post in an update or a future blog post.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:07 am
While Stanley Burrough’s medical advice is erroreonously being described as “naive” and “outdated,” I believe he was largley misunderstood and he was actually ahead of his time.
Yes, germs and viruses DO cause harmful effects in the body that cause illness and/or death, but only if the conditions in the body allow this to be so. The body’s pH level is crucial in fighting off disease. It is a medically-known fact that lemon juice, cayenne pepper have an alkalizing effect in the body which is excellent for restoring the bodies proper ph balance. Their are plenty of books out their describing this in detail for those who are interested in maximizing their health.
Unfortunately, we put so much emphasis just on weight which is why, I believe, people have such a struggle with diet and exercise — it’s not just about weight. If we shift the focus from weight to optimum health, maybe people would be more motivated to make good choices for themselves.
What he was trying to convey was the message that if your body and immune system are not overun with toxins, and your body functions as it should be, you can be disease-free. It is a well-known fact that a healthy immune system is the best defense. As far as what he meant by “raising your vibration,” he was ahead of his time. While not all people are ready to understand what this means,he was talking about energy. All things have energy — high vibration is positive or good (things such as love, compassion, natural, unproccesed foods, etc.), and low vibration is negative (hate, anger, overly proccessed food). The more you put into practice of raising your vibration, the better your health, and your life in general you enjoy.
His ideas (though not original but not well-known at the time) were actually a precursor of what was to come. Many best-selling books now explain this topic of vibration and how to apply it to your own life.
July 18th, 2008 at 10:39 am
In case you want to try, a few corrections:
“Purchase lemons, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, laxative herbal tea, and sea alt in sufficient quantities to last the duration of your cleanse.” - except for lemons. Buy them fresh every two or three days.
“You may experience dizziness, vomiting, joint pain, and weakness. ” You WILL experience boosts of energy as well.
“You will also be really hungry.” — If hungry, get more lemonade. No, you will be slightly hungry. Personally, I feel the same during the diet like I feel an hour or two before lunch or dinner on any regular day. Very subtle feeling but not starvation.
“orange juice” - buy organic with extra pulp. And it’s not just body work, it’s mind work. regardless of pounds lost, you will feel greatest achievement.
July 19th, 2008 at 9:47 am
And until that “month or two” has elapsed, you’re going to let your readers continue to believe there’s any legitimacy to Burroughs’s claims?
This is beyond irresponsible of you. To say I’m disappointed would be a grave understatement.
July 23rd, 2008 at 8:45 am
Just to get an idea… how serious are you about the bathroom and diapers??? Should I take vacay time from work??
July 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 am
The photo above is from the Flickr album of a person who actually did the Master Cleanse: Notice the Pampers Clean ‘n Go package. Presumably that was not a joke.
On the day someone is scheduled for a colonoscopy a preparatory process takes place whereby he takes a laxative and drinks a laxative liquid. The liquid bowel movements come in waves for 6 or 8 hours. However most accounts of the Master Cleanse seem to say that everything is over in a couple of hours each morning. This may be because the amount of salt water is only a quart versus twice as much or more for a colonscopy, and also because in preparing for a colonoscopy they give the patient a real laxative solution and pills, not homemade salt water and herbal tea.
There are some graphic descriptions of the process out there should you have the stomach to read them and the Google skills to find them.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:59 am
To add to the discussion on “how Stanley Burroughs died.” He was an old man (88 years old) when he died. What difference does that make. He still lived longer then the normal longevity for men in the U.S. (as of 2002, male life span average was 74.7 years).
Everyone can talk all day long about the “science” involved or lack thereof but, the proof is in the results. Either it’s helpful for you or it’s not. I find it helpful, personally.
Enjoy your day all!
July 30th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
i have been doing the Master Cleanse for the last 10 years… absolutely cured me of my allergies and joint pains… follow it to the “T”, and expect a new you.
August 4th, 2008 at 12:58 am
Oh man, this diet now officially scares the bejusus out of me. I was intrigued about the “cleanse” aspect before, but now it’s clear that guy was just a nut job. Thanks for the frank facts. The wipe-and-go sealed it.
August 6th, 2008 at 11:04 am
It will be interesting to hear how Burroughs died. Seems to be kept quite hush-hush. He was rather old (88) but living such an ultra-clean life, you’d think he would have lived much, much longer. My grandmother ate pecan pie and pickled pig’s feet and lived to the age of 100. My husband’s grandmother lived on hot dogs and canned soup and lived to age 94. Neither ever exercised. (I’m in no way condoning that lifestyle — just saying…)
August 11th, 2008 at 1:05 am
I find it interesting that the western medical profession are so threatened by any practice that may dent their beliefs. Sure a lot of stuff is mumbo jumbo but if so many people have done the Master Cleanse (and more than once) are fine and actually have improved health surely that is anecdotal evidence.
August 16th, 2008 at 11:43 am
I’ve done it a couple of times, and I know I just feel lighter (not just pounds) than before I do it. I think that may be because I eat a lot of protein in my normal day-to-day diet as an amateur bodybuilder. Also, it’s amazing how your skin looks after a few days of this. That could be all the H2O…i dunno. I know that when I start feeling sluggish or my allergies are really acting up, I do this cleanse and I feel much better afterward.
August 16th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
I have done this for 4 days now, I feel better already but can’t take the salt water only once. I went to the tea in the morning now , don’t know if I’s OK, Help//////////
August 18th, 2008 at 3:46 am
I tryed the master cleanse yesterday LOL… but it taste so nasty I was gaging.. so needless to say I quit… the pepper burned my mouth… and it just tasted aweful how can anyone stand to drink that stuff for 10 days are longer 6-10 glasses a day grossssssssssssssssss. And I fixed it just like it said to fix it..
August 18th, 2008 at 11:23 am
I’m on my 12th day of the master cleanse and I have felt great until today. I woke up this morning with a sore throat, I think it’s from the cayenne pepper and lemon juice. I hope I’m not getting sick. One problem I have is a cut on my foot that will not heal, my husband says it’s because the lack of protein or any food in my system. He said that my body is not able to heal itself. Is this true? I have heard of other people doing it longer but I really feel bad today and I have a low grade fever. I was planning on doing this for 20 days, but if I feel this bad tomorrow I may begin my weening off process. I’ve lost 12 lbs and I’m thrilled with that but don’t want to gain one pound of it back.
August 20th, 2008 at 5:23 am
I think you should do wht feels right Lori, you know your body best!
I read on another site that it’s normal that you body reacts quite extreme; the toxins coming out. And to determine if it was the cleanse or something “real” they said to wait untill the next bowel movement, if it’s gone it was the detox, if it stays, stop
August 21st, 2008 at 7:28 pm
wow, i really want to do this, but can someone with experience tell me….if it is possible to do without constant access to a toilet through out the day? That aspect makes me a little nervous…does it get better after a couple days? Help!
August 22nd, 2008 at 10:11 am
I tried to take the salt water this morning. It’s was really tough to drink. When I finally drank it all I ended up throwing it up 10 mins later. What should I do? Can I substitute the laxative tea in the mornings instead? Another concern is going to work in the mornings. I don’t wanna be running to the loo every minute.
August 22nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
I just started the Master Cleanse program today. I’m doing it for both detox and weight loss. My doctor has advised me not to stop taking my prescribed medications. So far I have found the 32 ounces of medium hot salt water in the morning to be the most difficult part. The lemonade concoction was actually pleasant tasting after enduring the salt water. Having to use the restroom all day has not posed a problem, it was only shortly after consuming the salt water in the morning. I have committed myself to this for 14 days and will be using this site for support as I write about my progress on the Master Cleanse.
August 23rd, 2008 at 2:14 pm
My 2nd day on the Master Cleanse. I had a harder time getting the salt water down this morning and almost gagged with 8 oz left to drink. I stopped and did not finish the rest of the salt water. It still induced a liquid bowel movement shortly after consuming it, but I have not had to use the restroom for bowel movements other than the one right after the salt water. It is not true that you need to spend all day by the toilet.
The lemonade concoction gets tastier and tastier in comparison to the salt water and is not hard to get down at all. I’ve increased the Cayenne Pepper to 1/4 tsp since I do not have a measuring unit that measures 1/10 tsp. I can barely taste in within the mixture. I’ve been mixing the lemonade with cold water so it’s been refreshing during the heat. I admit that I only consumed five lemonades on my 1st day and forgot to drink the laxative tea because I fell asleep before I was able to get to it. I think that this gets easier each day you stick to it and surprisingly, I am not all that hungry.
I’m hoping that by writing about my experience with this on a daily basis that it will help others with some of the questions or reservations they have about starting the Master Cleanse.
August 23rd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
I am getting ready to start this cleanse. I know my body is toxic and I look forward to using this cleanse to help that. As for the weight loss, I have to admit I am excited to shed a few pounds, but mostly I am looking to use this as a stepping stone in my effort to lose weight. From what I have been reading over the internet, this takes about 10-14 day to acheive the pink tounge stage on average. Once I have transitioned off my cleanse and back to regular food, I will begin my efforts to eat right and continue to take steps to lose weight. Many have issues with the pepper. I have read that the liquid is better than powder. Also some need to use less to start. I have also read that adding a little lemon juice to the salt mix can help with the taste.
What he said about germs is that “Always the belief is that we must kill these forms of life in order to keep us free from disease. Yet, in spite of massive research, manufacturing, and wide use of these items, mankind still goes on suffering from an ever-increasing variety of disease and disorders with no let up in sight.” He goes on to talk about fungus as being the issue. More research is coming out about fungi in our systems.
August 23rd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Has anyone tried this while nursing…? I am only nursing once every few days, when the baby is really fussy…any suggestions?
August 23rd, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Robyn, your baby may develop a taste for spicy food. :-)
August 23rd, 2008 at 8:57 pm
I’m getting my mind together to start the clense… My only concern at this time is that I’m HIV pos and require meds once a day. I also take a narc pain med and I smoke. I’m concerned about hunger withdrawals mixed with the smoking withdrawals mixed with the pain med withdrawals all at one time..
August 23rd, 2008 at 9:04 pm
“My only concern at this time is that I’m HIV pos.”
Doing this cleanse sounds like a really bad idea. Have you spoken to your doctor?
August 24th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I’m on my 3rd day of the Master Cleanse. I absolutely dread the salt water in the morning, but have been consuming a concoction that included BRAGG’S unfiltered apple cider vinegar daily before starting this cleanse. I keep the mindset that it is mind over matter and I have completely committed myself to this for at least 14 days, 21 days if I can manage that. Anyway, today I thought that if I can handle consuming 4 TBSP of apple cider vinegar in a cleansing concoction every day, then I can handle drinking this nasty salt water every day. So, today I mixed in 4 TBS of apple cider vinegar into my salt water since I’m used to the taste of the vinegar. I have to say the bitterness of the vinegar detracts from the overall super salty nastiness of the salt water and made it much easier to go down. I believe fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice would also help.
Apple cider vinegar has very beneficial health properties as well. Including, but not limited to detox, skin benefits, hair benefits, etc. Do a GOOGLE search on apple cider vinegar and you will see that it could compliment the Master Cleanse very nicely. I’m glad I thought of mixing it into the salt water because it was much easier to get down this morning. Still unpleasant tasting, but not nearly as bad as the salt water alone. Perhaps that is only because I’m used to the taste of the vinegar, but I swear once you get used to it, you’ll find it much more pleasant than the salt water alone.
Also, I’ve discovered that there is a lot of “hype” about how much time you must spend on the toilet or near a toilet. I haven’t needed adult diapers or baby wipes. Maybe it’s because I’ve been on a diet for over a year, have been consuming apple cider vinegar for over a year, and my system isn’t as loaded with toxins as I thought. However, I’ve reached a plateau in my weight loss which is why I decided to do the Master Cleanse. I’m hoping it will kick start things again and then I plan to resume with a vegetarian diet, not a total raw vegan diet like Burroughs recommended, but no red meat, poultry, or pork. I’m going to stick with raw fruits and vegetables and eat only fish, tofu, legumes, nuts, and select dairy products for my protein sources.
I’ve noticed an extremely diminished craving for sweets and other carbohydrates in the short time I have been on this program. I haven’t felt that hungry, tired, achy, experienced any joint pain, nor have I vomited. I almost did yesterday on the salt water, but I used my mind over matter mindset and just stopped before I did vomit. I even plan to resume with my regular workout routine tomorrow. I didn’t want to send my system into shock, but if I would have known it wasn’t going to make me feel fatigue, I would have kept going right along. Now that my body is getting used to the Master Cleanse, I feel that I can resume with my workouts. I’m hoping that if I can stick with it for 21 days instead of 14, that I will lose at least 20 lbs and will really feel a sense of accomplishment. I have already lost 110 lbs in the last 11 months, so I already do feel like I’ve accomplished so much, but I really want to reach my goal weight by the end of the year.
For those who are on prescribed medications and thinking of doing this cleanse, DO NOT stop taking your prescriptions and my doctor recommended to me to wait at least 60-90 minutes after taking any meds in the morning before consuming the salt water, or your system will not have enough time to absorb the medication.
August 24th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Jennifer, 21 days seems really extreme. At least you are talking with your doctor. Please continue to post so we’ll know you haven’t suddenly died!
August 24th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Jennifer thanks for posting your daily stuff. I have been finding it very helpful. I start my cleanse tomorrow, monday so i will be looking to you for inspiration. I have commited to do 10-14 days or however long it takes to have my tongue go to the pink state. since I am using this to start my diet by cleansing then eating a balance of healthy food as well as using a new product called FORM. I am very excited about this new product.
August 24th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Will the ingredients be helpful if a person uses them on a daily baisis instead of the fasting process. How will it benefit a person?
August 24th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
So I have been reading several blogs on people who have done the master cleanse and several complain of joint pain and aches about the 3-5 day and lessen as they get theses toxins out. So I am thinking when you suffer from joint pain and aches a good soak in a hot bath with epsom salt does wonders. Would this be a good thing to do to help with these symptoms. if I get them? I am thinking it is as this is also used as a detox bath to help pull the toxins out.
August 25th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Hi everyone! I started my cleanse last night before bedtime with traditional medicinals smooth move laxative tea. woke up around 8 this morning had 2 bowel movements, just like it said would happen in Burroughs’ text, and i am now trying to choke down the salt water concoction. I feel like this will probably be the hardest part for me. But I am committing to 10-14 days, I would like more energy and to lose some extra weight before I head back to college. I will keep posting here. Thanks for the support everyone!
August 25th, 2008 at 10:03 am
I just started the cleanse last night. Drank the senna tea before bed, woke up this morning and felt fine. I tried drinking the salt flush with apple cider vinager like Jennifer had posted but I just could not get it down… I kept gagging. Tomorrow am I’ll try it without the vinegar! I’ve been drinking the lemonade all day, its actually good. So far I’ve gone to the restroom once. I’m not that hungry… I hope it stays this easy!!
August 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I am choking down the salt water right now. I added some lemon juice to it and it actually made it a little better. Is there a time frame in how long you should take to drink it down? If I drink too much too fast it will not stay down.
August 25th, 2008 at 11:04 am
so I finished my saltwater, almost threw up. i drank almost the full quart. HOWEVER, about 20 minutes after I had to use to bathroom, and have been going to the bathroom every 15 minutes.. this has been going on for 6 hours now.. very uncomfortable. The lemonade is actually very tasty in comparison to the salt water so I really am enjoying the concoction.
August 25th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
I was curious if it was alright to lessen the amout of cayenne pepper in my drink? I can take the salt water flush, but the cayenne pepper is a but much for me. I can make myself do it if I have to because I want to get all the benifits of this cleanse, but I would much rather lessen the amount of pepper.
August 25th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
My girlfriend has done this twice before with good results. As we now live together, I decided to do this with her this time to make it easier on her. I don’t want to be sitting there eating a nice meal while she tries to stick to this.
I started last night with the herbal tea and then did the saltwater this morning. I didn’t find the salt water that hard to deal with personally. Everybody is different I guess. I will however tell you that the saltwater works very well!!!! :-) Flushed me right out to say the least. I had a couple bowel movements within an hour and that was it. Nothing else today and it’s 6:30pm as I write this. I guess for me at least there will be no problem with constant trips to the toilet. You do pee alot though, that’s for sure.
The only real concern I have with this is the potential for muscle loss. I do work out 4 or 5 times a week and am fairly lean and muscular to start with. I’m not really doing this for weight loss, more for the cleansing effect. Has anybody who “bodybuilds” done this and if so what was your experience as to muscle loss?
So far today, I have been hungry almost constantly and I’ve had 80oz of the lemonade concoction. I hope tomorrow gets better for me because this is tough to say the least.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress.
August 25th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I didn’t even last a whole day… I got so hungry I couldn’t take it! I give so much credit to those who last more than a day! This is hard I won’t lie, but I will try to do it again
btw what do you do with the hunger? I could not handle it but I really want to stick with the cleanse, drinking only liquid is just not helping with the hunger
August 25th, 2008 at 9:22 pm
i read this guys blog. He is a weight lifter. he said we kept up his traing schedule during the 14 day period and was able to lift more wieght and had more energy to do it.
As for the hunger, I guess drink more lemonade or try some herbal teas and water.
August 26th, 2008 at 11:19 am
Well, here we are midway through day 2.
Got up this morning and I was STARVING and weak. I made my saltwater and drank half of it and had to stop, sit down and concentrate on not throwing up. 15 minutes went by and then I was able to finish the rest of it by taking big gulps and then waiting a minute between. Just as before, it worked it’s magic and off to the toilet I went about 15 mins after finishing it.
I drank 16oz of the lemonade for breakfast and that cured my hunger. Had an 8oz cup of it heated around 10:30 and that’s held me till now. It’s 11:15am and I’m getting pretty hungry again.
Overall though, I feel pretty good. Other than the hunger pains, I feel wonderful. I’m not weak, not tired, not dizzy or anything like that. It’s really surprising because before this cleanse I was eating about 2,200 calories a day and on this, that’s cut in at least half.
My girlfriend told me this morning that she can already see I’ve lost some water weight in my mid section. I told her it’s more likely that my stomach is flat because I haven’t eaten solid food for 36 hours!! :-)
Plan to go to the gym tonight for a light workout and see how I feel.
More updates to follow!!
August 27th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Started the morning as usual, saltwater, toilet, lemonade, tea and out the door. That Saltwater gets harder to keep down everyday and goes through you faster each day too.
Last night was rough though, had cramps a couple times during the night which made me get up. When I woke for good around 7:30 am, I was weak and hungry as heck. Did my double dose of lemonade and felt better.
It’s about 6pm now as I write this. I ran out of my supply of lemonade here at work so I had to run to the Sprouts market for more supplies. I waited too long because I got busy and man was I weak and shaky.
One thing I noticed today is that normally I have the sniffles quite often from allergies. So far today and yesterday, nothing. My nasal passages are dry and I’m not sniffly at all which is unusual. That probably has something to do with why I can smell EVERYTHING. It’s really crazy how pronounced everything is. Of course you can smell food cooking the best of all….;-(
Staying on this for at least one more day. Not sure I can go beyond that though. I’m off work tomorrow so I’ll be fine. Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday I work minimum 12 hour shifts with no real breaks. Not so sure I can do this for four more days working those kind of hours, I just get too tired by 3 or 4 pm. We’ll see though, I’m going to try to tough it out.
Wish me luck.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Day 3:
I almost quit last night. That pizza was yelling my name. But I managed to get through it.
Today was really hard. I was in a planning meeting for a moms group all day. We went to lunch at one of my favorite places and I just had water. I told everyone I was full from my breakfast. I would have told them I was cleansing, but one of the gals is married to a doctor and I did not want to deal with the discussion that I knew would happen as much as I enjoy my friends. I just did not have the energy to defend my decission. It took all my effort to get through lunch and all today.
Tonight has been hard again. It is not so much as that I am starving, just really wanting real food. I am going to take a hot bath and go to bed. Tomorrow is another day to deal with this. I just hope it gets easier.
I keep having some heartburn from the pepper so I broke down and took one Tums. I am sure it is not very good, but I just cannot handle the burning and reflux. Normally I take Prilosec for it, but I quit it to try to get my body clean. Hopefully I will not need anything tomorrow.
August 29th, 2008 at 10:16 am
I’m on my 7th day of the Master Cleanse. I have lost a total of 8 lbs. I have one bowel movement in the morning from the laxative tea the night before, another after the salt water concoction and one before I go to bed at night. I have only been consuming 5-6 of the lemonade concoctions per day and do not feel hungry, weak, achy, etc. I have had enough energy to resume with my daily workouts and routine and know I’m burning more calories than I’m consuming.
I apologize to those that tried the salt water concoction with the apple cider vingegar and found it difficult to get down. It is much easier for me to get it down with the vinegar because I’m so used to the taste of the vinegar and the bitterness really detracts from the super saltiness which almost made me gag. I’ve also added Dr. Brandt’s Blueberry water supplement to the salt and vinegar water. It helps curb the bitterness of the vinegar and improves the overall taste. Blueberries are high in antioxidants and are considered one of the miracle foods. I know that I’m slightly improvising, but I’m doing it with things that are beneficial to your health, that aid in detox and add no calories and if it makes the salt water go down easier that I can manage it for 14 days minimum, then I’m going to continue doing what has been working for me.
I also find that an extra cup of the laxative tea through the course of the day doesn’t hurt either. I will let it cool down and pour it over ice for a refreshing glass of iced tea.
This is something that you really have to be committed to doing. The first few days are the most difficult, but once you get the third day under your belt, it becomes easier and easier. If you feel hungry, go for a walk, get on your treadmill, ride your bike, or do some housecleaning to keep your mind off of it and if worse comes to worse, have an extra glass of lemonade followed by a big glass of water. It will fill you up. I drink the lemonade concoction and follow it up with a 16 ounce glass of cold water.
I’m not dead yet, but I will keep it under advisement that 21 days is a bit extreme, but if I’m still feeling good, motivated, and that it helps me in getting over that pesky diet plateau by “tricking” my metabolism back into gear so I lose 20 lbs, I’m all for it as long as my doctor says it is okay!
To everyone out there who is trying to detox and/or lose weight, this really works if you stick to it, but you have to remain committed even if you get hungry, or the salt water gags you out, or you feel a little fatigue the first few days. Just like anything else, you have to let your boy acclimate to it and give it a chance or you’ll give up.
I’ll keep posting on my progress and GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE WHO EMBARKS ON THIS WONDERFUL CLEANSING PROCESS!
August 29th, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Stanley Burroughs died from complications from an accident. I think it was a fall.
As far as those knocking the process, before you try to talk others out of it you might read up on fasting material. There are plenty of MDs that have written books on the subject.
August 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Stanley Burroughs’ death certificate (a certified copy of which I have in front of me) says that his immediate cause of death was acute pneumonia, which he contracted two weeks prior to death. It also mentions that he had leg fractures and a urinary infection.
August 29th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
ROBYN - DO NOT cleanse while you are breastfeeding! That can dump toxins into your breastmilk! NO! NO! NO!!!!!! There will be time later…wait till you are done. I breastfed for 11 months…It’s ok - you’ll get there….
August 29th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
day 5:
I cannot say it has been easy. I have moments usually at the end of the day when I am ready to throw in the towel, but I have some this far. I commited to 10 day s 14 max and I think I can do it. I am down 5 pounds as of yesterday, but I acually feel pretty good. my troat stopped being sore after day 3. I have some aches and pains, but a hot bath with epsom salt seems to help a lot. I have been sipping on peppermint tea in the day, and that seems to help some.
August 30th, 2008 at 9:40 am
I missed a couple days of updates….sorry, was off on Thursday and worked a double shift yesterday!!
I’m on day 6 now and doing quite well. The first 3 days are absolutely hell…you REALLY have to be motivated and have a strong desire to see this through in order to get past 3 days. I have had a few friends try it and they all pulled the plug at 3 days. Once you get past that, your body seems to come to grips with what is going on and it gets SO much easier.
One other mistake I was making in the beginning was that I was sipping on the lemonade through the day rather than drinking big amounts of it quickly when I got hungry. Doing the bigger amounts less frequently seems to curb your hunger more and makes this much easier…for me at least.
I have plenty of energy, am back to going to the gym and basically have resumed a normal activity level.
With all that having been said….I still do crave food. I think it’s almost as much the desire to taste different things and to CHEW as much as it is the physical need for food. Here’s a little tip from Uncle Blair to all the cleansers out there……DO NOT watch the Food TV network! :-) What the heck was I thinking? All food, all the time and ALL of it looked so good. My girlfriend and I sat there with our mouthes watering talking for an hour about all the things we want to eat…..not too smart huh?
Anyway, back to work now for me.
If you’re thinking about doing this….DO IT! Just be strong and get past the first 3 days and you’re home free.
Good luck.
August 30th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
tonight is the night before i start the master cleanse and i’m thinking that this might be alittle harder than i anticipated, but i have motivation, apart from my personal goal to lose weight and get a detox, my best friend who is over 200lbs just finished her 10 day plus the 3 days to get back to her normal diet and she was successful in losing weight and getting detoxed..she now swears by the master cleanse!! hopefully i’ll be as successful as she was..
September 2nd, 2008 at 4:17 am
Day 1
Well, I’ve read all of your comments and I’m going for it! Sounds like day 3 is a tough turn around. Off to the store to buy supplies and start the process. I’m also quitting smoking cold turkey. What am I a masochist?
Everyone’s comments have been really helpful…Thanks! I’m shooting for 10 days.
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:17 am
I’m 27 years old and my husband and I just had our first baby 4 months ago. I just stopped nursing and am starting the Master Cleanse diet to help shed the last 10 pounds of belly fat that I just can’t seem to get rid of. I’m curious about the long term results of this diet. Has anyone been able to lose the weight and keep it off? I’m worried that I’ll lose pounds quickly, but then gain them right back as soon as I start on real food again.
Also, those of you who are taking the laxative tea in the morning instead of the salt water - is that working out for you? This is my first day and I had the toughest time stomaching the salt water… I’m not sure I can do it for 9 more days!
September 2nd, 2008 at 9:45 am
add lemon to the salt water. It helps cover up the salt taste. I am on day 9. I thought I was going to do 14 days, but I think tomorrow will be my last. It has been hard and I cannot go for much longer. I am down 8 lbs, and my face really shows that I have lost something. I love that I have really been getting rid of alot of toxins and I have lost my cravings for everything. Really I just want food again.
September 3rd, 2008 at 10:21 am
Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to blog, I enjoy reading your comments. I just started the cleanse today. I had my first glass of lemonade, which wasn’t bad, except I think I added too much pepper, but it was still tolerable. What I absolutely couldn’t tolerate was the salt water. I had about 4 ounces of it and promptly threw it back up. I really don’t know if I’ll be able to stomach it, even with the lemon juice like a few of you have suggested. Is is really necessary to have the salt water??? What about the laxative tea in the morning? I know others are waiting for a response to that question as well. Thanks for reading, I’m looking forward to the great results others of you have written about!
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:47 am
I checked a few other websites, and they say to add 2 TEASPOONS of salt to the quart of water, not 2 TABLESPOONS like this website says. It makes a huge difference (although I couldn’t even finish my quart this morning) :)
[You're right, MT. We've corrected the article. Thanks.]
September 3rd, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Well I’m in a similar predicament to many of you that have posted here. I’ve been exercising consistently since June (riding 4-5 times a week) and will be doing a 100-mile bike ride September 27th. The problem I’m having is the past 4 weeks I have plateaued in the weight-loss department. I’ve had a couple of co-workers and friends do this cleanse, and they swear by it, so I figured I’d give it a shot.
Also on a side note, after a month and a half, both of my co-workers (males) have maintained their loss. One of them lost 18 1/2 lbs! My wife and I are starting it on Sunday, so I’ll be updating here to let y’all know how it’s fairing. My goal is to re-engage my metabolism and kick start some more weight-loss, as well as clean out any toxins I’ve built up. Should be great!
September 3rd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Here I am! End of day 2. I agree with everyone that the salt water really is terrible. It’s all I can do to keep it down, but boy does it work! I haven’t really had any problems with the lemonade nor do I feel weak or lightheaded. (Just nauseous after the saltwater until…well, you know.) Interesting point: I quit smoking cold turkey with the start of the cleanse. Honestly, I’m not missing the cigarettes and I was smoking probably 3/4 pack per day for the last 4-5 months. I’m 28 and have smoked on and off since I was 13 and this truly has been the easiest quit (well, it’s only been 2 days). I don’t know if my body is just so shocked that I took cigarettes, food and alcohol all away from it at once:) Thank god, I wasn’t a coffee drinker. I’m looking forward to day 3 as most of what I’ve read says that the food cravings get easier after day 3. I highly recommend enlisting all people who live with you as my roommate has heated up chicken 3 floors away and I’m ready to sell my beagle for a chicken nugget. (What the say about your sense of smell becoming more acute is true!) I really appreciate everyone’s comments on here. It’s great moral support. Okay time for dinner….slurp!
September 3rd, 2008 at 9:34 pm
It’s about tea time now on the evening of my ninth day of MC. I’ve worked nearly every day of the cleanse (physical job: massage therapy) taken two hikes in fairly high heat ( day 2 and day 4) and felt very good and energized. I just filled my backpack with a stopped up bottle of lemon and cayenne, my bottle of maple syrup, two large bottles of water and my quart sized container of prepared lemonade. Stopping frequently for hydration and nourishment just added to my sense of enjoyment. The trouble for me came on day 5 when I went too far: After giving 4 hours of massage at work I went to the club and got on the eliptical machine for nearly 30 minutes, layed out in the sun by the pool and then spent a short time in the steam room. Felt great until night fall when the migraine hit. Nausea big time, face headache behind the eyes included. I brought that on myself and do not recommend testing the limits like I did that day.
The trick that sometimes helps me with the salt water is to pretend I’m drinking salty chicken broth. The longest amount of time it has taken for me to fully evacuate the fluid was about 3 hours. Usually it’s about two for me so I definately have needed to set my alarm a bit earlier for that. I do recommend the equivalent of diaper wipes at toilet time since I personally make roughly about ten trips or so to the loo.
My bladder trained on the fluid diet after about three days so thankfully I don’t run to the toilet as often as I once needed to. I can go about two hours before needing to pee.
Never thought I’d need diapers but guess what, not such a bad idea! Except I’d feel like a freak. Nocturnal emissions of another kind… think on that!
I’ve done MC 4 times now and this is the only one where I’m still craving less than optimal foods… things with cheese, for instance. I’ve never transitioned to OJ on the 11th day because to me… that’s just a OJ fast. I usually move to soup and fresh fruits pretty immediately with not a problem I can remember.
Does anyone else have this problem?: Never has my tongue cleared on a fast. I think I may be reacting to the lemonade. Last time I fasted for 15 days with hopes it would clear. I have no health concerns to speak of and my immune system functions rather within normal limits so I wouldn’t guess I’m in a severly toxic state. Just wondering. Thanks!
September 4th, 2008 at 6:50 am
I’m starting the MC today. I just drank (30 mins ago) 2 teasoons of sea salt mixed with a cup of water. I thought it would be easier to down it as a cup instead of a quart. I feel some rumblings down below. I’ve heard conflicting reports… is it 2 teaspoons or 2 tablespoons of sea salt?
Lemme know.
Good luck everyone.
September 4th, 2008 at 9:00 am
I’m starting the cleanse tomorrow and would love the support of others that are also currently on it. Today I’m “easing in” by sticking to juice and fresh fruits/veggies. I’m pretty nervous about this laxative tea and sea salt crap. I hate throwing up, so I hope I can keep the salt mix down. Everyone’s stories are worrying me!
I book-marked this page and will be checking back for updates and insights. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I recently became vegan and want to detox my body from all the crap I’ve been eating for 29 years! This seems like a great place for support. Keep the comments coming :)
September 4th, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Has anyone with diabetes tried this cleanse? Is it safe? I worry about the amount of sugar intake but desperately need to lose a good 20 lbs. and want the quickest avenue there. I need to serious cleanse in order to stimulate any weight lose. I would appreciate any info you guys may have or if you can direct me to any alternative or abbreviated methods of this cleanse that will accommodate a diabetic. Thanks in advance!
September 4th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Hey Guys,
Im starting the cleanse tomorrow morning, Im having my tea right now. I have read everyones comments and am super excited to see the results. I have read everywhere that it helps with energy. How long does it last? Should I be concerned that once the cleanse is over and Im back to my normal diet my energy will deplete again? I will be logging my experience with everyone, hopefully daily so I look forward to any tips, advice, or suggestions!
Good Luck!
September 4th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Although Stanley Burroughs includes a variation of the Master Cleanse for diabetics in his book, we didn’t describe it in the post. The general consensus is that it would be a very bad idea to do this diet if you have diabetes, and at any rate you should talk to your doctor (as should everybody).
September 5th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Day 4!
It seems to be true what they say, if you can make it through Day 3 it’s an easier battle. I have been running 5 miles a day and taking dance class and my energy seems great. I still HATE the salt water process but I just chug it while I’m squeezing lemons and tell myself to suck it up…literally. In 4 days I have lost 4.5lbs! One strange thing happened last night, I had a little hang nail which got infected and I woke up at 4am with my finger throbbing! Now c’mon we’ve all had hang nails and never have I been woken up in the middle of the night by it. Either my pain threshhold is lowered in my state of near starvation or my body is more prone to infection or ridding the toxins. Maybe it’s totally unrelated, it feels alot better today but damn, it hurt like heck last night! Somewhere in day 2 I didn’t think I would make it to Day 7, but now in Day 4 I’m feeling much more optimistic! I’m looking forward to adding healthy foods back into my diet. I mean, lettuce is sounding like a feast right about now:)
September 5th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Beginning of day 3 and I’ve already lost an inch off my waist! How exciting. I decided to skip the salt water flush for now. The laxative tea seems to be doing the job pretty well. I was talking to another friend who’s done this clease and he said he did the salt water flush only a couple times towards the end of the 10 days. So yeah we’ll see about that. But for the time being…..very happy with the results thus far! The caffeine headaches have been the worst thing about this so far. But I am looking forward to not giving starbucks half my check each month!! Keep up the good work everyone.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Seriously thinking about starting this cleanse. The last 6 months have been terrible eating and I can really feel the “yuck” in my body. Good luck MAD Matthew, hope the smoking habit gets flushed as well. I’m looking forward to reading how it goes for you. Another journal I read was by a woman who had a tongue bell for 6 years and she experienced swelling, pain, and inflammation for a few days. She said she felt it was her body getting rid of the toxins. Perhaps this is the same as the hang nail. I’m away from my house until next week on somewhat of a vacation, but I REALLY want to start this now. My allergies are extreme and if this would help even a little it would be worth it. Any energy that comes with it would be of great help as well. You wouldn’t believe how much energy the body uses during a sneezing fit. Take care to all.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
I have been on the cleanse now for 6 days. I prepared myself 3 days prior to starting this diet, last year I only made it 3 days before giving up. You diffently have to be mentally prepared to do this. The first three days were the toughest. The only thing that I’m doing different is eating a vegie at night with about 3oz of fresh fish or chicken, no dairy, bread, caffeine, meat or processed foods only vegie and/or fresh fish and chicken. I was getting a bit shaky at night and this seems to help me. Also I passed on the salt water cleanse, I did this diet last year with the salt water and did not care for it. This time I’m only doing the laxative tea at night this seems to be working just fine for now. So far I have lost 9lbs and a few inches. My pants fit again!!!! I feel great, I have more energy and I’m sleeping through the night. Hopefully I will make it the whole 10 days this time.
September 5th, 2008 at 5:42 pm
DAY 5 i nearly quit yesterday, its been difficult with the cravings, especially because it was chinese food night and i had to sit and watch (and smell) everyone eating while i sat with my mint tea. I nearly gave in but am glad i kept going..my hardest time of day is from 3-9pm. Overall i am feeling well, a bit tired and depressed but its manageable. I dont know how much weight i have lost but its not much, maybe a few pounds..but i am wanting to detox mainly, but do need to lose the weight..i am hoping to go to 12 days…more if i can…i swear some brown rice and broccoli will be my meal of choice when i can eat again! overall no complaints..just pushing thru day by day. i love reading everyones blogs, its really good inspiration and it gets me thru the rough hungry times….off to have my lemonade….keep perservering…its worth it in the end!
September 5th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Thanks CalorieLab for the response to my question about an alternative plan for a diabetic. I plan to speak to my doctor to assist me with my decision but I have to tell you, I may just go ahead anyway - even if she doesn’t give me the green light.
It can’t be any worse than what I am doing to my body right now. I am totally out of control. Eating whatever I want, not managing my sugar. I am in a downward spiral - the sugar addiction has got a hold of me. It sounds like if I can get through 10-14 days of this cleanse, I will get my body to some sort of state of healthy beginning and I can start again. I have fasted before- or more exact, cut out the crap, and I am able to get to a similar state.
I need help this time. I need a boost, a jumping point. If I can see myself a few pounds lighter, I will get the umph! I need to regain control. My will alone is just not enough. At this point, it is either this cleanse, or diet pills!
Don’t worry, I will continue to take my meds and I will keep everyone posted to help other diabetics who may be considering this.
Stay tuned guys!
September 5th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
Well its the end of DAY 1 and I’m somewhat undecided on how I feel. The salt water mix was hard to drink but it was more the quantity then the taste, I think that I will make less tomorrow. I had a few cravings in the afternoon and just tried to keep myself occupied. I was surprised when I went to work ( a fantastic Italian restaurant) and wasn’t salivating over the food. I had some energy today, but not sure if it was more then usual. I planning on making it through my 10th day. I found that 5 lemons give me about a cup of lemon juice 16 tablespoons and with the maple syrup and cayenne pepper the mixture wasn’t so bad, it was more the kick of the pepper that made it a little “different”.
I will keep everyone updated on my results!
September 8th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
So I havent kept up, but today was day FOUR and so far the hardest. I almost threw in the towel. Thankfully I have very supportive friends and they didnt let me. I hope that tomorrow will be easier because if not, I am not sure I can continue with another day like today. I would love to hear about other’s experiences so if you have any comments of suggestions, please write them!
Still going,
ZC
September 9th, 2008 at 11:07 am
This upcoming Friday, September 12, 2008 will mark my 21st day on the Master Cleanse. I have consumed the salt water, apple cider vinegar, and Dr. Brandt’s Blueberry water booster every morning and it is an absolute crucial part of this cleanse. If you want the full impact and benefits of this cleanse, DO NOT SKIP the salt water in the morning.
I am on the cleanse primarily for weight loss, but the detoxification benefits are an added bonus. I have lost 20 lbs so far and have been able to keep working out 4-5 times per week. The first 7 days were the hardest, but after that my cravings for carbs and sweets disappeared.
I have only been consuming 5 of the lemonade concoctions per day. My skin is glowing, I’ve lost several inches from around my middle and have lost 20 lbs so far. By the time I transition back to “real food”, it will be no pork, red meat, poultry (except for eggs), cooked vegetables, sweets and other unhealthy carbs. I will be consuming only raw fruits and vegetables, fish/seafood, nuts, and legumes. I will also continue with drinking one lemonade concoction that I will incorporate into what was my previous morning “cocktail” that included acai berry, thai mangosteen, pomegranate and noni mixed with 3 TBS of apple cider vinegar. I’m just going to add 1/4 TSP of cayenne pepper, 2 TBS grade b maple syrup and 2 TBS of fresh organic lemon juice mixed with 24 oz of water instead of what was 16 ounces. This “cocktail” is loaded with antioxidant properties and the various berry concentrates sweeten it up nicely.
Here’s to the final 4 days of 21 days on the Master Cleanse and all the benefits from sticking to it!
Thanks to everyone for posting their thoughts and experiences. Stick with it, you’ll feel a great sense of well being and accomplishment by doing so.
GOOD LUCK!
September 9th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Jennifer,
I am so happy for you. It sounds like you really kicked butt! I so hope my experience is the same. I hope to lose at least 20 lbs as well so it looks like I can count on 21 days as well.
I hope to start this Sunday. I am so nervous. I unfortunately have the added difficulty of dealing with diabetes - Type II. I am not going to let that get in the way - I am going for it.
You must feel like a million bucks. I wish someone would present before and after pics so we can truly see the results and be motivated. Thanks for sharing Jennifer - you inspire me!
September 10th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
So me and my friend are about to start this diet, and im nervous. so i am going to try to last 21 days as well.. i dont think i will have that much of a problem with the not eating.. i mean it will be hard at first, but i can handle that.. there is only one thing that i think i will have a huge problem with… and i know this sounds silly.. but i dont know how well i will do at the salt water thing.. my boyfriend just did this and i tried it to see what it taste like and it was HORRIBLE! i can’t stand salt.. so does anyone have any suggestions about this!?! is there anything i can do to substitute this step? or anything i can add to make it taste a little better.. cause i have a feeling that i will throw it up, or just not be able to drink it at all?? help :(
September 10th, 2008 at 6:40 pm
Beth,
From what I have read, it is extremely important that you follow this program to the letter - don’t skip, add, supplement, or otherwise alter the ingredients or the amount you should be consuming. Just buck up and follow the journey, all the way through. It is the only way to guarantee optimum results. I am starting on Sunday and my plan is to do the exact same.
Good luck!
September 11th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Wow - I’m very intrigued by this cleanse. My biggest hurdle: feeding my 2 toddlers 3 meals/day + 2-3 snacks/day while only drinking lemonade & a lovely salt water concoction. Talk about dangling a carrot in front of me……..
September 12th, 2008 at 7:55 am
Yeah.. im starting tomorrow.. so tonight i am going to eat a good dinner with my boyfriend, kind of as a final mean for 15+ days.. my goal if 15 but im gonna try more if i can.. i just quit smoking so im trying to get healthy and im also going on a cruise to Jamaica so i want to shed some final pounds before i go. good luck to everyone that is on this diet.. i’ll keep everyone posted on my experience with it!
September 13th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I’ve read everybody’s post and had to try this, started last night. Herbal lax wasn’t bad, works good in the morning (on the throne) especially after the “salt water”. Oh and I didn’t find the salt water too bad if you mix (2-teaspoons to a quart) half warm water dissolve the salt then add cold water, drank the quart in about five minutes. I don’t usually add salt to my diet, so really wasn’t that bad! Done my routine with my dogs run (make sure your done with the “throne” before you get to far) and back to the house then started my “lime-aid” concoction. Tasted pretty good! Although I did get a little heavy with the cayenne, and let me tell you’ll get your blood flow’n then!!! I think the cayenne heats everything up where you can’t feel if your hungry or not, anyways its noon and I’m on my fifth concoction, feeling great! Will post another day! Thanks for all the other post, really enjoyed!!
September 14th, 2008 at 4:48 am
*day 1*
im drinking the salt water right now.. its super gross.. i keep gagging on it.. but im tring to get it all down.. i might only be able to do half today without getting sick… but we’ll see… im trying to make all my lemonade before i go to work. i work 10 hours today!
September 14th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
what does the salt water taste like? I am hispanic and growing up i ate alot of salty junk foods (chinese candy, tamarindo, sal con limon etc). I do not have much of a sweet tooth so I am hoping i can handle it. I am not a fan of bitter tastes. let me know P.S. i start tomorrow.
September 14th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Hi everyone!!!
I have been reading all a can about the Master Cleanse for about two weeks now and tomorrow is the day I will start my cleansing adventure. I have really enjoyed reading everyones comments. They have helped me motivate myself even more. I’m drinking my tea right now and feel very nervous about my next few days coming up. I will keep posting my progress but I know I will need a lot of support.
Wish me luck
Elizabeth
September 14th, 2008 at 8:57 pm
i started this cleanse tonight by drinking the tea and im going to see how long i can go. my main concern is that i’m underweight and weight loss would be a really not good thing for me but im also full of toxins and i need to fix that. is this a good idea for me?
September 14th, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Evening all,
I plan to begin my Master Cleanse in the next couple of weeks. I work as a flight attendant, so my main concern is the bathroom availability. Is it safe to assume that the most crucial time is in the am immediately after the salt water comsumption? What length of time should I allow myself privacy in my own home or hotel room after taking the salt water? I can schedule afternoon start times that give me down time for at least 4 hours in the morning. Should I make it a point to schedule the start of my cleanse on my days off, to figure out exactly how my body might react to the lemonade/salt concoctions?
September 15th, 2008 at 12:34 am
I think I am going to start this Master Cleanse as soon as I can get my groceries for the cleanse. Where do you purchase the uniodized sea salt?
September 15th, 2008 at 1:24 am
Up above we list online sources for full Master Cleanse kits (minus the lemons, which should be bought fresh every few days). In addition, Whole Foods Market has been a source for supplies for many people.
September 15th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Hi everyone. I’m starting the master cleanse tomorrow and I’m a bit nervous. This website is great and I’m really hoping it will help me get through this. I’m 22 and I’ve basically decided it’s now or never. I am as stubborn as they come, so I know I can do this. It’s really nothing more than a mental game and I am ready to challenge myself. I think this will be a good test of my own will-power.. The only thing I’m really concerned about is the fact that I’m SLIGHTLY hypoglocemic and I get pretty shaky when I don’t eat… does anybody have any tips for this? I know it says that’s what the syrups for but I’m still concerned. Thanks and please know I admire all of you that are sticking with this!!!
September 16th, 2008 at 6:35 am
Hey laurajanecolorado, If i were you I think I’d start on an off day, if you have a couple of days off then you can see how your body’s going to react, that way you can plan your “schedule”. My own experience is that after the salt water is when you need to be close to the “throne”! This is day four and all is well, when i get a little hungry I just make another lime-aid concoction. Will post another day!
September 16th, 2008 at 11:28 am
I want to say thank you to everyone that wrights about their experience. I started with the laxative tea last night and this is my first day with the lemon mixture – the after taste is kind of like the chili powder (Lukas) I used to get off the ice cream man when I was a kid! The day has not been too bad. The salt water is horrible to drink but I took the advice of some of you and added lemon juice – it helped a lot! I am really exited about doing this and hope to reach my goal of 20 days. I will try to write about my journey of the ‘Master Cleanse’ and hope it helps others as well.
September 16th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Hey mt after I read what u wrote I cracked up I did put 2 tbsp instead of 2 tsp. It came back up b4 I could get half down.lol this is my first time with doing this I usually do ramadaan with the muslim and no I’m not. I just found it interestin so I’ve been doin it 4 couple years now. But my main concern is that I got sick the day b4 I choose to start this fast, now all I been doing is coughin to the extreme. I hate to break it to take some stupid over the conter drug but a hall sounds real good about now. How do I get over this hump and I do know that the cheyenne will help with the mucus system. I plan on goin the full 30-40 days ill keep posting to let yall no how I’m doin.I’m a 24 year old and weigh bout 143-148 I don’t want to lose weight cause I’m 5 8 so that’s good 4 my height. Do yall think I should drink 3x mo then what it says to manage my weight. Is any1 reading this? Have any1 got this far down. Okay well let me no guys/ ladies.
FOR LADIES ONLY:
If your wonderin bout cramps, if u do this fast while on ur red cap, then don’t worry. I have endometriois, I usually take tylenol 3 for the pain, so far I’ve taken nothin and feel okay but I do seem a lil heavier then usual. If this helps a lil for my women.
Thank you for taking the time to read this I have prayed for all and hope every1 find there answer. Jah bless
September 17th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Hello I just got a question has any1 else try to do this fast while sick. I figures the cheyenne will help with the mucus part but I won’t stop coughin I’m burnin up not real real bad but its not good. Do I stop or wait it out oh and this is day 2
September 18th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Start of day 3… Wow last night I wanted food so bad!! I had to try and keep my mind off of it and sip on some lemonade. I really hope this gets better. I only have a hard time at night because I am not a breakfast person anyway. I did the salt water for the first 2 days but I am taking today off. I know you are supposed to do everything EXATLY like instructed but I figure every few days I should be able to not drink the salt water. Each morning it made me feel bloated and full. I am having a hard time drinking so much of the lemonade mixture already (6-7 servings) so I don’t need to be full before I even start in the morning! Hope everyone is doing well
September 18th, 2008 at 8:04 pm
i need to loose weight quickly for a photoshoot.
im hoping to loose about 20 lbs.
does weight loss depend on the person or how much lemonaide is consumed?
and what is the taste like? seems odd.
September 19th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Hi, just started today! Natalia, the taste isn’t bad. I actually like it. Just do not put too much cayenne in it like I did this morning! It will have your booty burning(I know, TMI right) Just a warning, though to others…the instructions say you can have 6-12 servings, but if you want to lose weight, you want to keep it at the lower half. I would say have between 6-8. I’m doing this for weightloss myself, so plan on keeping it at 6 or 7. It is now 8pm and I am hungry as hell! I did do 15 minutes on the elliptical earlier and that actually helped the hunger for about an hour. Well, I will be back tomorrow with an update!!!!
September 20th, 2008 at 5:43 am
Hi, everyone I’ve been reading everyones comments this morning and they’ve all been really helpful. The only concern that i do have with the cleanse, as most, is the going to the bathroom throughout the whole day. I work 9 to 10 hours a day, 5 days out of the week and I can’t always rush to the bathroom because I stay so entirely business throughout the day. If anyone could just share there experience with me it would be greatly appreciated and would extremely calm my nerves.
Good Bless,
Zari’s Mom
September 20th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
I’m not sure if this question has been answered or asked before. I am HIV poz but not taking any medications. Is it safe if I start this master cleanse diet? Should I decide to start, should I stop taking multi-vitamins, fish oil, and garlic suppliment too?
Many thanks,
bart
September 21st, 2008 at 1:17 am
Okay, well I have been reading all of the posts and am ready to start the Master Cleanse system. I got a little scared that I wouldnt be able to handle the saltwater, so I just went to my kitchen to see if I could hack it…and added the 2 tsp of salt to 1 and half cups of very hot water to allow it to dissolve, then I added the remaining 2 and half cups of cold water to it…it wasnt too bad actually, like very salty chicken broth, which is what I told myself it was Just waiting now to see what happens as a result. Tomorrow Ill go buy the ingredients and the following day Ill begin the Master Cleanse. Im gonna try to get my husband to join me, but I doubt he will. I went on a 3 day fast a month ago and he ate everything imaginable in front of me, he couldnt even go without eating for the first day! So well see, Im gonna have a hard time convincing him to not try to sway me from being on it for more than 10 days…he thought the 3 day fast was dangerous. Well, to those of you on it currently, thank you for your posts, it has given me strength and good luck with your cleanse experience.
Rose
September 22nd, 2008 at 7:01 am
I went on the cleanse last year. I was 49, turning 50 in 4 months and had tried many things to lose the weight with no results. So I heard about the MC and decided to try it. I only wanted to do 7 days but it just got easier and easier and I ended up doing 21 days and losing 22 pounds. After 1 week of eating normally I gained 8 pounds back.
What I didn’t realized was the other health benefits and that was years of sinus congetstion went away. Energy came back. The confidance I gained in myself after maintaining this is incredible.
So I am back for another go at it, to lose the final pounds, clear my head (not as bad as before but something is gunking up my sinusus again) and feel great. I see it as wipng the slate clean and making more adjustments to my diet. I have not eaten at any fast food places, limited my sugar and dairy intake.
I’m not sure how long I will do this but I will do at least 10 days. The salt water in the a.m. was the hardest for me last year. Eventually I couldn’t do it because I would throw up the water. I think it might be because of my size (under 5 ft) so I am going to adjust the amount. I have to get up at 4 a.m. to do this and get to the gym before work. For those looking to lose lasting weight, do your cardio.
For those of you who are starting, the pooping is the worst in the begining but it never stops coming out. Just the consistancy changes and you’ll wonder was that in me. YES it was.
To all of us good luck and remember you can do it, do not listen to ANY nay sayers. You know what you are comfortable with , please youself not others.
Especiallly women, as you lose weight there will be those women & men who will not be comfortable with themselves becuase of your accomplishment.
Also women. get your”One days out” You know we all have them; the clothes in the back of our closet that we’ll fit in agian “one day”. Today is the first step to that day. Pull it out, washthem, press them, put it on your bedroom door and try and put it on, every week. Try it on and when it fits put it back in your closet and pull anohter smaller sizer. This will help to keep you focused.
And lastly find a good Goodwill or salvation army, unless you make alot of money you will not be able to afford to dress yourself, you will see the pounds just melt off. Hey I dressed in name brand designer clothing while I lost and I need a NEW wardrobe every two weeks. No lie.
Good luck to us all.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Ok, so this is my 1st day on the cleanse. I coincidentally took a laxative tea the night before due to tummy issues (which motivated me to do the cleanse) and found out that drinking the tea was day 0 for the cleanse, so needless to say I started off on the right path! :) Well I got through my 1st day, no problem, I feel really good! I think about food but feel strong enough to overcome any urge at this point. I went to Costco this afternoon to stock up on the lemons, maple syrup & water and totally overcame all temptation of eating off the multitude of sampler snack stands I had around around me! Not to mention their actual food stand! :)
The only thing I’m doing different is skipping the salt water thing in the a.m. Instead I’m drinking a laxative tea tonight and one in the a.m. The last time I did that lower intestinal cleanse with salt water I felt like my body totally retained it all and felt swollen. It was not too effective for me, or so I’m chicken to give it another shot! I’m comfortable substituting with the laxative tea instead, besides I read I can do either/or in one of the many websites I’ve encountered in researching the cleanse further.
Anyways, I will try to post my progression on the cleanse day by day. It’s nice to actually share the progress & I think it helps too! Oh, BTW, I don’t know how but from weighing myself this a.m. to weighing myself this evening I lost about 2 lbs. I did pee a lot throuoghout the day! :)
September 23rd, 2008 at 12:04 pm
hi all,
this is day 2 for me. so far, it hasn’t been too bad. i hate the salt water concoction in the mornings but as has been mentioned before - it really does work. i am doing the cleanse primarily for detox reasons.
day 1 was not easy, but not as difficult as i expected. what made it most difficult was the fact that i was feeling a little depressed because of a personal situation. so getting through the day felt like something of an achievement. i have no idea what to expect over the next few days. i am mentally preparing for day 3 as people have said it is the most difficult. if i can get past day 3 and 4, i think i will be good. the hardest part so far is smelling other people’s cooking. if i worked in a restaurant i don’t think i would be able to do this. i’m also not making any dinner engagements till i am done. right now, i don’t think i have the will power that some of the people above do to sit and drink tea/lemonade while the people around me feast.
i understand where the skeptics are coming from. i myself would never have dreamed of doing something like this a few months ago. i am an avid meat eater, love desserts. i also tend to go out fairly often for drinks with my friends still, i don’t feel like i am addicted to any of these indulgences. i just love socializing over good food and drink. i’m doing the cleanse to see if i will experience the benefits that so many people have sworn by. i’m not overweight and am in decent health. i’m 30 years old, 5′7″ and weigh between 120 and 130 lbs. (i’m not sure exactly because i don’t have a scale). i’ll try to keep you up to date on my progress. best of luck to everyone taking on this mental/physical challenge!
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:35 pm
*”*”*”*”*”* HI LUCY!! *”*”*”*”*”*
This is my day 2 as well! I feel great and actually crave my lemonade when I’m not drinking it! As I mention in my 1st comment yesterday, I am taking my laxative tea in the a.m. in place of the salt drink, aside of taking it before bed as well. Something to consider? I seem to be doing just fine with the tea in the a.m.!
I basically can relate to everything you said, as far as your social life. I love to dine, cook & have my wine & spirits with my friends too, but ultimately I chose to give my body a nice break from it all! I even quit smoking while on the cleanse, and for the looks of it I may not even pick it up again. I was only a social smoker anyways! :) Something else I have found to take my mind off of food & the whole thing is distracting myself with my computer in the evenings after work, If I watch TV I will crave food & snacks! I’ll browse, research, etc., which is how I came across this great website! :) Also, (don’t laugh) but I hit up Micahels after work today for some arts & crafts! I’m gonna hand paint some stuff this weekend for my niece “Lucy” that is a month old to keep my mind off of stuff, since I will basically be confined to my home this weekend unable to socialize & to avoid falling into any temptations! I figured this would make time go by quick and keep me distracted, along with my pilates! During the week I have my job, thank goodness, because I can easily bury myself in work and not even think about eating or anything.
I’m really liking the lemonade more and more as I drink it & today I found myself adding a bunch more ceyenne pepper! Its almost as if my taste buds are already beginning to change! I jumped on my scale again this evening and I’ve lost 5 lbs. so far, I can’t wait to see what the scale reads in the a.m.! :)
Anyways, good luck with the cleansing! I hope you hang in there and everything works out for you. Another thing that helps is this website too! I actually look forward to posting my progress! :)
Be back tomorrow! :)
*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*”*
September 24th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Well I made it thru my goal, 10 days and I feel GREAT!! Lost 20 pounds, but I’m sure “some” will come back. This is a great site, good luck and thanks to all for the input!
September 24th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Hi Everyone!!
I’ve been reading all of your comments and they have made me feel a lot better about this whole thing. I have been wanting to do this cleanse for awhile now, but I had a wedding last weekend that I had to wait until it was over. I plan on starting tomorrow! The only thing that I am really nervous about is the whole bathroom thing - I have to work throughout the day.
My cousin is currently on her 9th day of the cleanse (and she has done it once before) and said she didn’t really have any issues with the bathroom. She just recommended that I get up early enough to drink the salt water so I have about an hour and a half before work to use the bathroom.
Anyway, I will keep you all updated! I’ve also been on a diet for the past year but cannot get past my plateu so I ‘m hoping this will jumpstart my body!
Here’s to staying motivated!!!!!!
September 24th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I am starting the cleanse tonight, but i am a bit worried about the salt water flush, because i have to go to work early each day. Does anyone know if I can drink the salt water at night instead? Thanks!!
September 24th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
hi ENTHUZED and all,
so my day 3 is drawing to an end. strangely, although i was feeling fine in the morning of day 2, by the time i went to bed i was feeling pretty bad. i think this may have been due to not drinking enough water. i actually felt like i had a uti but today that feeling appears to have dissipated.
i have to say i haven’t felt as “enthused” about this diet as some of the other posters, but i am going to do my best to shift my mindset, i have to if i am going to continue. i was just feeling soo exhausted today. i feel much better after taking a nap, something that i am not accustomed to doing. my hunger cravings are not as strong and i do enjoy the lemon drink. my schedule has been very erratic lately which doesn’t help. besides doing yoga on day 1, i haven’t done any exercise since. i recently began running again, but on this cleanse i do not feel like i have the energy for something so intensive. a light bike ride may be in order tomorrow. i find it so interesting how everyone responds to this process differently.
even though the salt water flush tastes awful i prefer it to the tea because it works fairly quickly. also, in the past i haven’t had the best responses to the tea. still, i am taking it before i go to bed and combined with the morning salt water flush it seems to be working well.
for those of you concerned about having to go to the bathroom throughout the day i would personally recommend the salt water over the tea because you take care of your eliminations within two hours of taking it.
SIMON, in one of my web searches, i did read of someone doing the salt water at night instead of in the morning due to his schedule. i assume it is okay. as long as you are having multiple eliminations a day.
well, that’s my two cents for the day. thank you for your support enthuzed, i really appreciate it. and congratulations on quitting smoking! from what i can tell, you really sound like you have the will to both get through the cleanse successfully and quit smoking for good. this is definitely not an easy process for me, but my hope is that my mind and body will ultimately find it beneficial.
this site is definitely helpful….will check in tomorrow!
stay strong cleansers!
September 24th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Thanks Lucy & good luck to you!
Well everyone it’s the end of my 3rd day and I feel great! Cravings are barely there & even the smell of food does not make me go crazy! I weigh myself in the a.m. and in the p.m. This a.m. I woke up to 7 lbs compared to last night’s 5, and tonight I was at 9 lbs! :)
The tea alternative to the salt water maybe works for me because a few months ago I endured a rigid 2 month colon cleanse & detox that ridded me of basically everything I had built up, so there may not be as much to discharge compared to others. In fact I already noticed it today after my morning tea, I felt tummy action but there was really not much going on in the bathroom compared to yesterday & before then. Also, as I mentioned before, I had a pretty bad experience the first time I tried the salt water lower intestine flush. I developed edema and not much happened. Although I did try it in the spring, which was a long while since my first attempt, and there was some action but I didn’t like the fact that I had to maintain glued to my toilet for at least a couple of hours, not to mention risking repeating my first experience! So when I read somewhere that you may alternatively drink the tea instead of the salt water solution I was thrilled! Even if I wouldn’t have read it I would have still done it that way. I drink it at work in the morning as soon as I get there and within the hour I’m already taking care of business. It is evident that everyone personalizes this cleanse to their needs some way or another, down to the lemonade! :)
I actually feel different, as far as mindset and feelings too! It seems like I keep busier, I’m more active and alert, I don’t think twice nor procrastinate anything and I feel positive! I’m sleeping without sleeping pills and my favorite is that as of yesterday my heart arrhythmia has just about gone away! I have a weak valve in my heart that causes my arrhythmia so I need to take beta blockers to control it,. But the strange thing is that I have not felt hardly anything at all in 2 days! I know that the whole purpose of this cleanse is to stop taking all meds, etc., according to Stanley, but this maintenance medication does not allow you to get off of it so abruptly! I don’t think my cardiologist or my primary Dr. would like that either! It’s bad enough that my primary Dr. is a little leary about this cleanse because I’m fasting for so long, and because of other health concerns, but he is ultimately on board with me as long as I feel great and don’t continue to lose weight so abruptly. It is understandable to lose the first 10 lbs really quick from tummy waste and water loss, but thereafter even I will begin to freak a little. Althogh knowing that you do gain almost 1/2 of it back almost immediately after the cleanse made him feel a bit better about it too. :)
Anyways, good luck to all you cleansers and future cleansers! If there is any hesitation, just do it! Everyone is different, but I would say once you get past the 2nd & 3rd day it gets easier! Not to mention, just seeing the results every day beginning with the first day is motivation enough! One thing I’m using for motivation is this pair of jeans I absolutely love and have not worn in a long time. I grabbed them and hung them up in my bathroom! I’m about 15 lbs away! Not to mention once again, this cool website is motivation too! :)
Be back tomorrow!
September 25th, 2008 at 6:14 am
Ok so I started today, techinally last night b/c i drank the tea before bed. But this morning, I made sure to use 32 oz. of water and 2 tsp. of salt, and I haven’t had any elimination. in fact, i drove to work really nervous after waiting like an hour and a half. it’s now over 3 hours later and still nothing. i feel a little action in my stomach, but really nothing. i know that this might be normal the first two days, but has anyone else had this experience?? it’s a little frustrating.
i also think i put too much cayenne pepper in my lemonade mixture. it tastes really good, and then the cayenne pepper kicks and in it’s like whoa!!!
September 25th, 2008 at 8:02 am
nevermind…. im fine, haha, guess i was just a little impatient
September 25th, 2008 at 11:04 am
I’m starting tonight with the laxative tea and im just scared for the salt water because i hate salty things but i’m just gonna have to deal with it. I’m gonna do it for about 15 days, if it gets easier for me then i’ll do it for 20. I want to lose 20 pounds but hopefully i can lose more.
September 25th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
Well here I am at my 4th day! I have lost 10 lbs so far! :) I continue to feel great and energetic, not to mention focused! I am hesitant about drinking any more laxative tea though because I am not discharging hardly anything at all other than dark orange, mucousy stuff (sorry)! I will continue for another day and see what happens. I am so happy I don’t feel my heart palpitations! I think this is what excites me more than anything! :) I’m not craving smoking despite quitting cold turkey, yet again I was merely a social smoker or 1-2 a day! I’m keeping myself totally busy, which helps not thinking about food or eating, yet I don’t crave hardly anything! I LOVE the lemonade & I’m totally hooked to it, but I really had to ease up on the ceyenne pepper because if I felt anything when I used the restroom it was that! I love it super spicy though, like 1 heaping tbsp per 32 oz bottle! The more I drank it the spicier I needed it! I just know my taste buds are totally changing! I admit, if I crave anything it’s veggies! I am really looking forward to eating veggie soup when this is over!
Anyways, goodbye for now and good luck to all cleansers out there, HANG IN THERE!! :)
Be back tomorrow!
September 25th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
Oh, BTW… I think I figured out why I LOVE the lemonade mixture so much! I grew up eating a lot of tamarindo candy, being Mexican & all, it is my favorite! So for all those familiar with Mexican tamarindo candy, the mixture to me tastes just like a “PULPARINDO” candy (yellow wrapper, not red) but in a liquid form!! :)
September 26th, 2008 at 8:00 am
I did the master cleanse last week for 10 days and it was totally awesome. My friends are now telling me its so unhealthy and blah blah blah, all I can think of is its ok to eat sugar, then its not ok to eat sugar, they’ll always be critics. But let me tell you this from experience “I FELT GREAT!” when I was doing it, my joints which normally hurt (I think I may have arthritis, not sure), I had no joint pain and normally i’m so stuffy from sinuses and allergies I can’t even breath, I had no sinuses or allergies whatsoever and could breath like never before not to mention I dropped a few pounds and clothes were fitting much looser. The one thing I did notice is that I was really thirsty a lot, so please stay hydrated, follow the cleanse to the tee, drink lots of water and you will see a great difference. Good Luck!
Oh P.S. The other thing I did which seemed to be helpful, first step out the door in the morning, I would take 5 deep breaths of the fresh morning air, and it would seem to work wonders, So Burroughs may actually be right when he said in the quotes up top “that there is no need to worry: protein is simply nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon. The air contains all these elements. Simple by breathing “we are able to assimilate and build the nitrogen also into our bodies as protein … by natural bacteria action….â€
September 26th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Day 1, I am hopeful. I have not been feeling well for 4 years since the birth of my 3rd child. I’ve had general aches and pains, digestive issues and headaches for 4 years. Nothing is helping. And, I am still carrying an extra 20 pounds since the pregnancy and I think this is contributing to knee and ankle pain. It’s a viscious cycle. I never had trouble losing pregnancy weight with the first two babies, just this last one. In the past 4 years I frequently say “I just don’t feel right”. I am hopeful this will help.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
I just finished the 10 day process with the Master Cleanse Diet. It took a lot of will-power. I didn’t experience any side effects such as dizziness, feeling weak or vomiting. I feel much better after going through the cleansing. I will admit that I was hungry as hell! Everything I watch on TV made me hungry. I thought when I came off the diet; I would want to eat everything in sight. However, I have come more caution about what I eat. I dropped a enlarge amount of weight and I feel great.
September 26th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I just finished the 10 day process with the Master Cleanse Diet. It took a lot of will-power. I didn’t experience any side effects such as dizziness, feeling weak or vomiting. I feel much better after going through the cleansing. I will admit that I was hungry as hell! Everything I watch on TV made me hungry. I thought when I came off the diet; I would want to eat everything in sight. However, I have come more caution about what I eat. I dropped a large amount of weight and I feel great.
September 26th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
It’s the middle of day 5 for me. Not much difference in how I feel from how I normally feel. I’m glad that I’m no longer tired like I was the first couple of days. It is really important to make sure you drink enough water, because the salt flush really takes the water out of you. Also, if you do feel hungry or tired take another shot of lemonade. That was my mistake the first few days. Honestly though, I still haven’t had the surge of energy others have talked about. I feel pretty normal, and I guess that’s nothing to complain about. I don’t know if I’ve lost any weight or not, but that is not the point for me. I’m simply trying to eliminate as much of the stored up gunk in me as is possible. It is certainly getting less and less so I may stop (call it quit if you want) early. I simply want to enjoy normal eating again.
I’m going to a social event tonight to watch the debates. Tonight will be the first time since I started the cleanse that I will be willingly putting myself in a situation where I am surrounded by food and drink. I’m not at all concerned about the drink, but I am sure my friend will have some tempting tasty treats. Will let you know how I handle that. My desire for food is still strong. I guess I I was wrong in thinking I wasn’t addicted to anything.
Later cleansers!
September 26th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Hello everyone, just wanted to thank you all for commenting on this site and being so great about all your details. I am doing the cleanse for the 2nd time. I did it for the first time on the 1st of this month and hung in there for 7 days. I felt awesome after that… ran out of syrup, and decided to wait until I could get more supplies and commit to a full 2 weeks, also I didn’t have all the details on the seasalt/water cleanse then either so now I am caught up to speed. It is Friday and I have been drinking the lemonade throughout the day and am easing myself into it over this week end. Monday and thereafter I plan on sticking to just the lemonade, salt water flush etc. Today I had a few walnuts and soup… like I said “easing” myself into it. Food will taste so much better after the 2 week period, I know it did after the 7 dyas I did it at the beginning of the month, this also allowed me time to do some soul searching, clear my head and focus on better eating habits. Thanks againall, btw, Rose if you happen to get back on this site…. I emailed you about starting together. Anyone that wants to start the cleanse this week end with me or Monday drop me an email c-yourself@hotmail.com. God Bless.
September 26th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Hi everyone! Day 5 and still feeling great! I’ve lost 11 lbs. and I’m thinking I’m now going to lose weight less drastically, or maybe it has to do with starting my cycle, don’t know. Either way, I feel fantastic, the lemonade is so yummy and I can’t get enough! :) I can’t ease up on the ceyenne, it just tastes so good! Now lets see what the weekend brings! :)
I’ll be in touch! :)
September 27th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Day 6 and still hanging in there. Even went for a 5.5K run yesterday, I didn’t anticipate making the entire loop but did it with relative ease. Was out for much of the night afterwards surrounded by people eating and drinking. Despite all the temptations (someone next to me was eating lobster and steak and it looked and smelled divine!) I resisted and had a great time. I wonder if the fact that I still find myself craving food so much means I should cleanse for a longer period of time. Thoughts anyone?
I so agree and am thankful that the lemonade is so tasty especially after the morning ordeal with the salt water!
September 27th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Well all these blogs have been quite joyful in reading…some have made me laugh to the point of tears.
Day 5 has now come to an end for me. Finished the evening meal with my Grass Tabs and Lemonade. YUM. My boyfriend is in the kitchen chopping vegs to make a potatoe soup. WE WILL BE freezing it of course; just dont want to through out any foods if we can save them. Will smell divine I am sure but the cravings dont seem to bother me as much as him. We have been doing this regimen together, he has chosen to eat a green salad at nite as where I am sticking straight to the orig. recipe here.
First 3 days must admit where challenging to a degree. I have felt better but believe in the end of the 7 days I will be better none the less.
Side effects for us have been mild headaches day 1-5,
sweats and temp. rising believed to be the Pepper..not much on that idea., myself I have Pink Eye day 4 and day 5 both eyes. I started this regimen with an onset of hives, not sure the exact cause but by day 3 were serious hives and day 5 still battling them. Have pain in hip that is unusual though thinking about it have less joint pain in my knees that I normally endure daily (hope that sticks around). Too, day 5 has brought on a runny nose for me. Not feeling up to par.
Are these all those stored in toxins they speak of ?
As for the salt water flush…yes ickky. I get it down fast as possible try to think of something nice like Hot Chocolate on a cold day or Salty Chicken Soup may work for you. I find you baby it and it sets really bad in my stomach. It does make me quite ill right afterwards and I find laying back down for 15 min will ease it up till the time calls.
Throne time…for boyfriend is very rapid action. Myself, I was constipated severly before the program and it took 2 days before I actually got a break in my colon. WOW> the nasty looking stuff we both expelled these past 5 days I must say is horrid. No doubt not a good thing to be bottled inside ones body cavity. He is pretty regular in his DOO times and feels he is now squeaky clean. I on the otherhand still am feeling I am not elimanating near the amount of fluids I should with all I put in and the color is still quite blackish. Some very strange Mucus looking Doos and No food has been had in 5 days other than the herb tabs. I may be forced to stick it out longer than him (past 7 days).
Neither of us really need to loose any weight but the main reason for choosing this program was to see if we really do have those type toxins stored in our bodies we keep reading about.
ANSWER — yes it is true…these eyes dont lie.
I think we will move on to cleansing the Liver and Gall Bladder, killing the parasites within as well at the end of this program since we are this close to detoxing. May as well finish it to the end.
Keep good thoughts through your day that you have chosen to do something Good for you for a change. You DOO matter. :0)
September 27th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Hi LASVEGASGIRLIE! Me being in Vegas as well It’s been hard for me not to be able to enjoy the nightlife with my girls, especially tonight being such a beautiful night, and/or just hanging out with them! :( There is too much temptation with them, so I decided to totally recluse from them and everyone for the sake of the cleanse! Good thing I truly enjoy being alone! :)
Anyways, this is the end of day 6 and I’ve lost a total of 13 lbs.! I continue to feel great, but I admit I’m craving the veggie soup! I’ll be making my own recipe though :) I may go longer than 10 days, who knows! My nose is kind of runny, but I blame that on how spicy I make my lemonade (still can’t ease up on the ceyenne)! What can I say, I’m Mexican! :) My tummy movement is at a minimal but there is still some action there, very little but enough. I’m only taking my laxative tea at night before bed and have skippped my morning tea alltogether.
It’s funny how Reginald mentions craving everything on TV because I actually stpopped watching TV all week to avoid cravings and wanting to snack or eat. But last night I watched some and it is unbelieveable how just about every other commercial has to do with food! I was craving all kinds of things watching TV! It’s almost subliminal! I was able to totally sustain myself then I passed out! I did not watch any at all today but tonight, as an alternative to hanging out with my girls I’ll watch a movie instead of regular TV to avoid all those damn commercials! :)
Well goodbye for now & good luck to all the future cleansers out there!
Be back tomorrow! :)
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September 28th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Hi Everyone. I’ve been reading all of your comments for the past few days and felt like I’d like to join in now.
I started the master cleanse 4 days ago. I was feeling like a blob - working full time and going home tired and totally devoid of any energy to do much at all. I decided to do the cleanse because I have a friend who did it and said that it really does boost your energy levels and also resets your habits — I’m trying to tone most of my consumption - food, wine, cigarettes.
So far, the cleanse has been AWESOME. I really do have so much more energy than before. I haven’t felt so good in years. My body is changing before me and my head feels so clear. I go home and have the energy to go for a run or take the dog for a long walk…
I don’t mind the lemonade or the senna tea. The salt water flush has been interesting though. I was told by a friend to double up on the salt at first — This made me very woozy and light headed, but the “eliminations” were very fast and frequent. On the second day everylast bit of the saltwater came right back up, and since then I’ve decided to follow Stanley Burrough’s advice: Two level TEASPOONS of uniodized salt per one quart of luke-warm water. Much easier to keep down, although the eliminations aren’t as quick or as powerful. I also do the salt water flush in the evening - I set to have all my juice down by 5:30 and I start with the senna tea at 6. At eight thirty or nine I do the flush, which works way better for me than getting up at four in the morning to do it.
This has been a really life changing thing for me. It really does reset your habits. I am going to go more raw/veg after the cleanse is over, and am looking forward to a more happy / healthy future.
September 28th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I’ve enjoyed reading everyone’s experiences with the cleanse. Thanks to Blair and Jennifer for taking the time to fill us in!
I bought the ingredients today and plan to begin tomorrow. I WILL make it through the first 3 days and then through 10. I’m a stay at home mom so I will have to cook regular meals for my hubby and kids but I am committed to seeing this through.
I’ll update tomorrow!
September 29th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Just started the Master Cleanse today. I’m going with the Blue Agave Organic Nectar instead of the Grade B Maple Syrup. I have organic lemons and ceyenne pepper, so I’m all set. Today is my DAY ONE. Day ONE and I am 5′7″ , 160 LBS. My goal is to stay on this diet until I lose 30 lbs. Afterwards, I am going to begin a lifestyle change of eating raw only.
After work, I’m going to purchase the sea salt and Senna Tea, but because I can’t afford to lose anytime at work, I plan on tweaking the times that I do the colon cleansing.
I’m grateful to have found this site for support - it encourages me reading others’ success stories!!!
September 29th, 2008 at 9:23 am
is it safe during pregnancy?
September 29th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Today is day ONE.
This morning I made 32oz of water mixed with the sea salt. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but I only drank 24oz. I figured that would be enough for me AND IT WAS.
In an hour I had the cleansing effects. The nice thing was my stomach didn’t hurt or get crampy, like I worried it would. I just all of a sudden had to go! I’d say I went twice more afterwards but everything was “done” within within 2 hours.
I’ve had 3 glasses of lemonade today. It is good but that cayenne gives it a KICK. It hurt my throat slightly but I’ll deal with it. I made myself enough for 7 glasses today. I did my regular workout this morning and had a drink afterwards. I’m also drinking lots of water.
I’m starting to feel a little weak but am determined to make it through the first 3 days.
Is it okay to put splenda in the tea or is that a no no???
September 29th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
splenda is an absolute no no!
it’s end of day 8. days 6 & 7 were the easiest, energy was good, normal high energy days, went on another run and was active throughout the day. i may have over done it a bit because today i feel a little under the weather. have a slight sore throat, but from the reading i’ve done i think it is all part of the process- loosening up of the mucus that contains stored up toxins - something like that. anyway, just a quick update. i can’t believe i’ve even made it this far. i know one thing i am going to have to be really careful about is easing back into a normal diet.
.
September 30th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Yes, I figured splenda was a nono after I typed and posted. But thanks! =)
I enjoyed the tea last night, I found it very sweet on it’s own.
This morning, Day 2, I woke up with a stomach ache. No fun. But I managed to drink most of the 32oz of salt water this morning, and about an hour later it worked it’s magic.
I feel fine so far. Not hungry at all. My mouth has a salty taste but I assume that’s normal…
September 30th, 2008 at 8:20 am
DAY TWO FOR ME - UPDATE: My original blog I posted said 160lbs. I guess not looking at a scale for 2 weeks will do that - my DAY ONE SHOULD READ 165.
DAY TWO - Yesterday I came home and did the whole salt water cleanse - wow, I probably don’t have to tell anyone in this group anything about it. Unexpectedly not a big deal though :) I’m having trouble resisting food today, but obviously not too much trouble - I’m still downing the lemon water concoction. Part of me enjoys the mixing - it gives me something to do while I’m not eating. I keep looking up motivational images that help me stay focused - size 4’s primarily. And bikini’s for my wedding. In December I’m going to get breast augmentation (from B’s to D’s and I’m also getting a nose job). This is going to be a great year for me to be 30.
September 30th, 2008 at 8:20 am
Oh yeah: DAY TWO = 162 LBS.
September 30th, 2008 at 11:17 am
Yay on the weight loss Katrina!
I’m doing okay so far for Day 2… I’m really noticing the lack of food today but thankfully drinking the lemonade satisfies me. I know today and tomorrow are the hardest days and I’m not giving up!!!
September 30th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
**Vegasgirlie**, it’s so cool your guy is doing the cleanse with you. Anyone going for October 1st as the starting point? I eased off solid food this week end like I said I would. I’m enjoying the “lightness” I’m feeling mentally and the little extra boost of energy from the cleanse thus far. Doing the cleanse all day today and going to see how many days into October I can hang. Is it absolutely necessary to keep doing the salt water flush every day?? Anyone?
September 30th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Day one today. I am F**&^%g hungry! WOW. I dont know if Ill make it a couple of days. Ill check in tomarow and let you guys know. the lemon concauction is good. (i think i put to much Cayenne in though). Im doing the salt water flush in evening though, not morning. A tip from a friend.
September 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pm
Hey guys.. No one answered to bart..
Hey bart!!!! Okay you are positive and not taking medications I dont see why you couldnt try it. Anything that is natural to me is healthy. So go for it. I have to say I have done the cleanse more then the cleanse it self. I abused it because, well because I did. It worked, I felt great, I just hated the first 3 days, those were the toughest everrr!.. I would be okay until 6pm and everything look good.
Well I have decided I will do it again starting tomorrow. I will not do the sea salt wash. Is annoying, and I have alot to do. You know what I didnt like about the wash that after a few days I was basically just shittin out the sea salt, is like where is all my waste? well there was like lil balls of fire “heehee” but nothing serious. Okay the pain from the just the lax is a bitch excuse my french. I sit there in the toilet holding my sides because I feel like I m giving birth. So either drink the nasty sea salt and be bloated for 3 to 4 days and battle quitting in the morning because of the salt or take the pain of the lax… Hmmm the lax. So Im going for it. Lets go lets go!…
September 30th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
Oh yea and one more thing, when I was abusing the cleansing like I call it. I was not sick once, always cold but healthy as a wisel. I also had the sense of smell of a lion, that was pretty nasty because I have a strong sence of smell to begin with but with the cleanse is ridiculous. hahah okay great. Good Luck to all. I will check in back with you guys if i remember my 2nd day. Laters.
September 30th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Hey Everyone…
DAY SIX. I feel great! This really has been amazingly easy for me. I am actually upset that I’m going on a trip next week and won’t be able to go on to 14 or 21 days.
The only thing that’s hard for me is the lemonade. At first, I really liked it. But now I can’t stand it. It really is hard for me to get through the full six glasses a day.
I am starting to be able to take the salt water flush much better, especially with the lemon in it. I am doing the smooth move laxative tea and the salt water flush, and everyday I am getting more and more disgusted by what is coming out of me. The first few days were mostly water, but now there’s some real grime coming out. I can’t beleive I’ve been carrying that around.
But everything is going great…. One of my colleagues stopped me today and told me I was looking really good - which makes me feel great. Just a little more than half way there and already the change is noticeable!
I do still get cravings once in a while — but the really great thing is that I’m craving HEALTHY stuff! Broccoli! Egg whites! Cucumbers! Beets!
Stay strong everyone … it really does get easier!
September 30th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Hi all,
Well here I am at the end of day 9 and I continue to feel great! I’ve plateaud at 16 lbs the past couple of days, but it’s all good! The best part is that I’m actually shopping in my very own closet! I’m wearing slacks & pants that I got to the point of “muffin-topping” before so I stopped wearing them for a while! But now they totally fit nice and relaxed around my hips…. YAAAY!!! :) I’m still less than 15 lbs away from goal. I will be getting off the cleanse after my 10th day, I already bought my “Naked OJ” and I’m totally looking forward to veggie soup (my own recipe) on Friday night!! I’m really craving veggies, but don’t see myself becoming a vegetarian :) Overall I love what this cleanse has done for me so far! I feel great physically mentally and spiritually! My heart palpitations are still at an extreme minimum, if anything at that, and I’m probably going to ask my Dr. if he can taper me off the beta blockers!
Anyways, I’ll be back tomorrow! Good luck to all of you getting started!! :)
October 1st, 2008 at 7:40 am
Day 2. Feel better, not as hungry. Giving me hope.
October 1st, 2008 at 10:15 am
Good day there.
Today is my first day and I’m feeling okay, in the morning i skipped the sea salt wash and had the lax tea. I have a slight headache and my mind already started with the mind tricks. But you are your own worst enemy and control is the key. I say finish thru your 3rd day and then you will be fine. I have 2 more days n the wknd coming up. TEMPTATION!!!!. see ya saturday.
October 1st, 2008 at 12:44 pm
Great troopers on this site…wow. Just wanted to make a little comment to the ladies, I’m finding that since I had to deal with my “girlie issue” this month on the 2nd day of the cleanse, I decided to back off and wait until that is over… too much to deal with. I will come back fighting and full speed ahead in a few days though…. everyone here inspires me with their positivity, stay strong and focused!
October 1st, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Have enjoyed everyone’s comments and input. I am surprised to find so many people have done this cleanse. It was cool to find this site and all of you, but I have also been finding out that a lot of people where I live have done it and that it was successful for them. I am going to do this for 9 or 10 days and then get off. I am going to Disneyland on the 10th and don’t want to have to try to do this while I am there. I am on day 4 and really found the first night to be the worst. I had an outrageous headache when I went to bed.
That made we want to quit, but I persisted. I am feeling really good now and have more energy and have lost almost 10 pounds. Good luck to everyone!
October 1st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Hi everyone, on day two and boy do I have a headache! could only do half of the salt this morning, might try it in the evening. I would love to be able to get to at least day 10. My husband says he is worried that I might go in to a coma lol! Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:38 pm
Day 3.
I woke up this morning with a bad stomach ache. Or, a bad stomach ache woke me up this morning! The tea the night before definitley has it’s effects.
I managed to drink 30oz of the salt water this morning. Today is the hardest day so far, no doubt. I am starving. I’ve been good though. A few times I’ve wanted to give in but I”m staying strong. I hope once I get past today it’ll be easier tomorrow.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:57 pm
hello, i am on day 3 of the cleanse. But, i have to say i’ve definitely been cheating. everynight i try to eat a little protein and carbs just cos i feel i need to. but im definitely pooping alot more! im hoping i still some drastic weight. i have a wedding to attend next saturday. Has anyone done this but also have a small meal everyday? and has anyone done this and do it while traveling? i live in VA and im flying to LAS VEGAS, NV next wednesday. I would like to continue the cleanse until at least next thursday.
any advice?
tks,
jess
October 1st, 2008 at 2:34 pm
**Hey Jess, hang in there… the goal is to try and be on the cleanse 10 days w/out eating but I completely empathize with you and everyone else doing the cleanse, it is hard! It takes a few days to get used to going w/out food, give yourself a break and start over if you need to, just a suggestion. I think everyone here can attest to the fact that you get maximum results if you stick to the cleanse alone.
October 1st, 2008 at 3:51 pm
P.S. I found the funniest journal about someone that did the cleanse… in case anyone needs more inspiration and details.
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 am
I totally cheated last night. I had some crackers. I know that basically ruins the whole point of the cleanse but I’m right back on it today. I was about to go mad and my family was feeling the effects of it. I actually looked forward to the salt water and juice this morning!
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:13 am
2nd day. Last night I slepted for a total of 12hrs. I had the worst headache and I felt weak towards 6pm. Well that was because I drank only 4 cups or 5 of the cleanse. By the time i got home I was drained and ready to hit the sack with a massive headache only getting worse by the hr. So I did what I do best, slepted. I woke up a few times and wondered if the time on my clock was right.. I woke up every 2 hrs feeling like I slepted for days. Anyways I already lost 3 pounds. I noticed that the only reason people see results in 3 to 4 days of the weight loss if because of that dayum sea salt. I opt out for just lax day and night. Stan said it was okay. I dont know why people make a big fuse about the sea salt if stan said is okay is okay is his cleansing idea. : )
Okay is 1pm and I still have the whole day to go. Is going good. Haven’t really had to poop but been pissing alot. That water weight is a bitch!. Okay see ya Monday. Enjoy, no cheating”if you do get right back on it” and if you decide to eat every night then do it. FUck it!, but if you are serious about it then do it all the way.
p.s Im going to start working out tomorrow. Im a hardcore gym rat when I do go so I let you know how it went.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:45 am
Hello all. Day 5 now and I have already lost 10 lbs. I have not done the laxitive tea or salt-water drink yet. I have pooped a lot though! I intend on doing the saltwater tomorrow. I have great energy now and my skin is starting clear up nicely. I do get minor headaches now and then, but the worst was on day 1.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 am
Does anyone either have or know anyone that has IBS and has done the cleanse? I have a friend who has IBS and wants to do the cleanse, but is unsure of the impact on the IBS. Any input would be greatly appreciated!
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:41 pm
DAY EIGHT.
Wow. I really do feel like a changed woman. Almost there - I’m really looking forward to being done now.
Had my first really bad cravings last night. I watched the Food Network (a no-no as previously noted above). I then had a fitful sleep, dreaming of steak and lobster. Mmmmm.
I switched from the straight Senna tea to the Organic Smooth Move tea three days ago, and since I haven’t been able to sleep well - waking up every one or two hours. I do notice that it’s helping though, so …. I’ll keep on.
I can’t beleive I’m almost done! I think I’m going to do this again next month. It really has been a wonderful experience!
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Day three and feeling a lot better. Could not do ANYTHING at work yesterday, but thinking pretty clearly today. My vision is very clear (I wear glasses)not wearing them today, anyone else? Am determined to make it to day 10!
October 2nd, 2008 at 2:09 pm
Hello, am in day 3 and the first 2 days were the most challenging of all! I just keep telling myself to take it day by day so that I remember to be gentle with myself! I’ve done juice fasts before but never this cleanse and am hoping that by tomorrow I will have passed the 3 day drama mark!
I sat with my friend as she ate lunch yesterday and it was quite an experience, not total torture. It was actually amazing to watch how she ate and study the food with a sense of detachment from the whole thing. I also notice how much of my time I spend eating and socializing, so it has been interesting to really look at my eating patterns and habits.
I have to admit that I actually like the salt water thing, it adds a different taste to the whole thing which I like!
It really helps to read everyone’s experience and know I am not the only crazy one doing this! I already feel better and this morning I woke up and excercised and even treated myself to a nice bath. It feels great to take care of your self in a new way!
October 2nd, 2008 at 3:16 pm
this is for JESS — my boyfriend went the 7 days of fast with me and had a small green veg. salad everynite. he had some good outcomes as well and was overall pleased in the end results.
I can tell you all something that may help not only with your hunger but it adds to the cleansing process called B & P Shakes. This is part of the Ultimate Fast that takes the MC fast one step further. Look it up online but meanwhile here is what it consist of - B = Bentonite Liquid which is a powdered clay ( liquid form is what i used from the Health Store) and P = Psylllium Husk that is a grainy fiber. You mix one tablespoon of each into a glass of water and we added a few tablespoons of natural apple juice to help make it go down a little easier though it really wasnt that bad. This will do wonders on pulling all the toxins out of the intestines and colon as you are flushing. I was completely shocked with my 10 day cleanse.
Another program we semi followed that is a bit more in depth of the MC is called Yogi Abhaya’s Amazing Colon Cleaning Program. Look it up and the B & P Shakes they can both be easily googled.
Will be back in a short while to give the rest of my expierence on the Ultimate Fast and Cleanse of 10 days.
YOU CAN ALL DO THIS …. I KNOW YOU CAN.
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
This was a very interesting past 10 days I am here to tell you.
Stuck it out right down to the end with NO FOOD> not too tough if you are set in your mind you are going to do this program. It works just as it says.
Now, adding a little twist to the MC fast we (boyfriend and I) added the P & B Shakes, some Vit C, not too much on the Cayenne Pepper (too spicy for me) though now I find could have taken in capsule formula (duh!), very little Maple Syrup and added Green Life Tabs (health food store), these are grass foods tablets such as Barley, Wheat, etc….
I believe the P & B’s and Green Life tabs (3 times daily) filled the voids that were in our stomachs as well as added the extra cleansing to this protocol.
The results were spectacular…horrible, gross, but never the less amazing. I researched the web for Colon cleansing by many methods and I must say that the overall results I achieved would rank right up top with going in and having many (5-10) hydrotherapy Colonics treatments by a professional. I might add at a very fraction of the cost, most colonics treatments run $60 and up per visit.
I have noticed much toxic waste eliminated from the intestines and colon as well as through my skin in which I am still oozing some poisons (note I started this program with chronic Hives). Headaches were mild and finally subsided as well as the Pink Eyes I had from day 4 till day 8 (from the toxins). There has been a noticeable change in my knee joint pain - nearly none, though I feel a pain in my right hip for some reason that wasnt there before.
As a tile setter I have put much stress on my knees over the past 10 years or better and have a history of arthiritis in other joints of which have been operated on so I have had some serious pain in these joints, up till now. Mind you I am 46 years old - female and have a higher tolerance to pain than most. I have not been taking any form of pain medication, no aspirin, no drugs.
The reason I think the pain has gone is due to the Lemonade Drink as it is very acidity and has broken down the build up of bad stuff in the joints and relieved the inflammation. The other attributing factor may be due to the Epsom Salt and H2O2 baths I have been taking for the past 5 days.
I was taking Chondroiton and Glucosamine with MSM on the side for managing such pain which worked wonders and beats the heck out of covering up the problem with Pharma. Meds. that dont do anything to repair the joints (great products just be careful which you choose - not all equal).
Another thing we did to give this MC protocol a real finish was adding a Liver and Gall Bladder Flush on day 7. Wow! It was such a sucess and another one of those things you wont believe the results lessen you try it yourself. I must have passed about 30 stones plus on my first try and it was right in line with staying on the MC diet so no loss time there either. In fact, I went on to finish the MC to day 9 afterwards with no problems.
It is totally amazing you can get such things from your body, YOUR BODY. I want to add that I did not need to loose any weight as I started out at 122 and am 5′7″. This protocol has brought me down in 9 days to 108 pounds. Because I was getting quite weak I had to end the program, but, it was time anyways for I think I expelled just about all fecal and liver matters that there ever was hiding in my body.
It is recommended that you give your body a rest and then do a Liver Flush again in 2 weeks to rid of any more stones you have loosened in the glands and more times if needed till no more stones come forth.
The Liver Flush we did was called Dr Hulda Clarks Liver Flush. It is only 1 day long but carries into the second day so a weekend you can have it done. We found it was easier to do it with the MC because of the Epsom Salt water flush you do with it. If you have to drink all this nasty salt water may as well do it all at once and get it over with.
I think we may never need salt at the table again… how about you?
Dont forget to put the GOOD BACTERIA back in when you finish folks…I know it is easy to say done and I am now EATING but you really need to take this last little bit for a healthy colon to resume.
Aside from feeling tired, weak, dealing with these chronic fricken Hives, I would say this was a good protocol and I will do it again. There are probably still plenty of toxins to be brought out of this ole body when it is back to fighting weight again.
I feel I have ate a fairly good stable diet most of my life and kept my weight to a minium, gotten plenty of excercise and yet after doing these fasts I see just how toxic our bodies can be without our knowledge.
Hoping this helps clear up some of my allergies and keeps my knees feeling great.
The greatest gift of all is the one you give yourself…be kind and gentle.
October 3rd, 2008 at 1:39 am
I just heard about the cleanse today, and I am already planning on starting tomorrow. Personally I don’t eat a lot anyways and find drinks just as filling. The only problem I think I will have will be drinking the entire amount of lemonade and water! I am constantly dehydrated, I drink 8 oz of water per day if that. But I’m excited about the cayenne pepper, I love spicy foods. Would it be bad though if I didn’t drink the full amount of water or lemonade? Which would be better to cut back on?
October 3rd, 2008 at 7:27 am
Hello cleansers! I should be ready to begin again tomorrow (will be done w/the girlie monthly thing…you know). Going to get stocked up on supplies and this time I am going to beging this whole week end with no food, just the cleanse. I wanted to give everyone a little tip on the seasalt/ water drink… SQUEEZE A WHOLE LEMON IN IT, I did that and it went down quicker, I actually liked it, then again I love sour/salty stuff, hope that helps… will be back on here on Monday (will be day 3 for me) wish me luck!! :)
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:11 am
Hi There Masters!
I am on day 4 and I have to admit I am having a hard time! I’m not sure what exactly it is, but I am committed to finishing this so I will suck it up!
Have any of the ladies had any experience with doing this while you have your period?
I got mine yesterday and have kind of dark circles under my eyes and am wondering how safe it is, I hadn’t planned on this, but I don’t want to give up.
Thanks for all of your info and updates, they are very helpful.
October 3rd, 2008 at 10:43 am
**For Hola: I’m getting over mine(period), I added a comment earlier about that, I stopped the cleanse on day two when I got mine, you know how difficult it can be around that time as it is, kudos to you if you’re staying on it through it… I will be starting the cleanse over again tomorrow.
October 3rd, 2008 at 6:05 pm
hello Paigey and all other Troopers,
I really think the cleanse says to drink as much of the liquid as you can by the end of the day. I found that if you fill a small water bottle and keep it with you all day long, you will be more apt to drink it and not forget. I got mine finished along with the three P & B Shakes I spoke of in earlier posting with a litle effort before nite fall.
Of course, you end up peeing alot too so dont take any long trips anywhere or route it to where you have plenty of Rest Areas along the way.
The Cayenne will definite give that lemonade a KICK> We did it just one day and by the end of a day drinking that - WOW. It does however give you a feeling of eating something spicey and sort of fouls the body. But to go 7 - 10 days with it…for me…I passed. Would rather take i t in capsules and for go the taste.
Another reason I think you want to drink all you can is not only is your body dehydrated and needing all the liquid to remain in a healthy state but too it gets those mucous plaques built up in the intestines and colon walls loosened and helps them to break apart much easier to give you a successful cleanse. This is also a good work out for the kidneys as they are being flushed continually.
You Can do it…and the more you drink the less you will grave food. And for those with temptations in the frig, we just took everything out and froze it for when we came off the fast.
WHat is the old saying, OUT OF SITE OUT OF MIND. well it does help, just dont look in the freezer.
For the ladies going on their monthly journey with PMS, I dont know if you will feel like going through all this too. It would be a rough road…I would serious reconsider it. Your body is going to be depleting alot of energy here and I felt I had not one drop to spare when I did this fast.
Good Luck to You and whatever you decide DOO DOO IT>.
October 4th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Day 4
lost 6lbs, I dont have bad skin at all but somehow Im glowing. I have natural curly hair and is….. okay doesnt matter. lol Not doing the sea salt and feel good. Is 10am Finished doing my mix and heading to the gym. Yesturday i did a light 30 min cardio session with billy blanks and yoga. It felt good yet at first my legs ached. Anyhoo my shoulders ache now from the upward dog. I feel good. Cant wait to eat again. Healthy that is. I have to say when I get tired i feel this energy going thru my body that feels like a high. It feels kinda good in a weird way. Hah. Me being an x pothead it feels a bit what can I say.. hmmm similar. Is just the high of the whole experience, your body and mind are very powerful. I hope everyone is aware of that. Specially on this cleanse. you open yourself up to things you might not have seen or felt before. : ) Okay off to the gym. I love going to the gym, today on my to do list is . Spinning class for an hr, then abs 30 mins then sculpt class 1hr. mmm cant wait. Keep it up and enjoy….
October 4th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
Last night I can’t sleep from thinking about what will happen today. I was really nervous and worried it might not work for me or I might not be able to do it. Today is my day 1. The salt solution wasn’t bad at all. I drank 2- 16 oz glass and it went down just fine. I started with the drink at 9:00 am and did 6 glass until 6:00 pm. I didn’t feel any hunger at all. Other than a mild headache, I feel great and I can’t wait till tomorrow. Thanks to you, Enthuzed, I was inspired by your positive attitude so if you can do it, why can’t I. Good luck to everyone.
October 5th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Hey everyone! One question-I just bought normal Senna tea-Not the smooth move stuff. This is my frist day on the cleanse so I haven’t tried the tea yet-but with normal Senna tea still make you go or does it have to be the smooth move senna?
October 5th, 2008 at 5:19 pm
I like this site since it gives us a chance to share our experience in the MC. For my part, being over 60, I tried it two times during the past two years and each time, it was only 10 days. I felt great after. As for weight loss, it was never my concern since I am always thin, or just under weight. My aim was to detoxify.
October 6th, 2008 at 6:52 am
Day 7—what a miracle!
Well I made it through this far and despite my monthly friend I was able to get through, the toughest part was the menstrual cramps but in total honesty, I feel really great. Obviously each person has to decide what feels right for their body, and I felt like my body could handle it.
I read somewhere that someone had pink eye? How did that go? I woke up with irritated eyes and was curious.
I feel like my body is just releasing all the toxins and even the circles under my eyes were part of that release. I was a little pale for 2-3 days and then my color came back. It is quite amazing to really see the changes in your body. I’m not done yet, but it is totally worth it to stick it out and finish if you can.
I use the smooth move tea and it works great, it’s so strong for me that I only drink half a cup otherwise I get stomach cramps. I believe the Senna tea will work just fine, test it out and see how your body feels and reacts to it.
I also recommend taking baths and just treating your body really nicely, it feels amazing.
For this interested in energy clearing: If you take a pound of salt in a really warm bath it totally cleanses your whole aura and energy system around your body. It just washes away any negative energy from your energy field, it feels great and right before bed is a great time to do it.
Lots of LOVE to you all!
Thanks for the support!!!
October 6th, 2008 at 8:54 am
Day 7
Feeling great, lost 10 lbs. did not take the lax tea this morning (did not need too) :) last week was the killer, this week will be a lot easier. This site has been great!
October 6th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I just started this yesterday. I am on Day 2.
A few personal things to point out:
1. use non-iodized salt… regular salt won’t work.
2. use 2 teaspoons! not 2 Tablespoons!!!
3. You don’t need to be near a toilet ALL day… just in near proximity of a
toilet for the first 2 hours after drinking the saltwater.
4. the only pains I’ve felt so far were in the early early morning while I was still sleeping… they went away in a couple minutes.
5. you can start with a tiny bit of cayenne pepper, and build up daily to the recommended amt of 1/10 teaspoon per 8-10oz of water.
6. people who say they’re hungry… are you really hungry, or are you just dying from the cravings?! I almost quit the first day, but held on strong… and when I noticed a loss of 2 lbs in the first day, I was motivated to stick with it. If you’re hungry, drink another glass of lemonade…
7. I’m having massive cravings for a hearty meal of baked chicken, veggies, and white rice with some soy sauce… mmm…. my mouth is salivating at the thought of how good food’s gonna taste when I’m done with this cleansing.
8. My nose is always sniffly, but I think the cayenne pepper is really helping with that… I’m not sneezing as much either!
9. and I saved the grossest part for last… my poo? well, today it’s coming out in a flourescent-yellow color… very loose, very brightly colored… very interesting… and totally gross! :)
Good luck to all of you…
October 6th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
My personal “body” information:
Height: 5′1″ (very short)
Day 1 Weight: 152.0lbs (on the heavy side…)
Day 2 Weight: 148.5lbs (yay!)
…more to come!!!
October 6th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Day 1
Started the Master Cleanse today, but definitely without the salt water in the morning. I can’t even gargle with salt water when I have a sore throat so drinking a quart every morning is out of the question lol :) A little bit hungry so far but nothing I can’t handle! My goal is 14 days (originally 10 days but I figure if I can make it 10 I can make it 14!) with an ultimate goal weight of cleansing for 25 days until October 30 (last year at college and I want to be a knockout for Halloween!). Since this is the first time I have tried and stuck to the Master Cleanse (last summer I tried and gave up at lunch time on my first day LOL!!) I would love to be able to do it for over 3 weeks. But at this moment, I am just taking it one day at a time. I know the first 3 days are the hardest, and if I can pass those I can pass the first week, which is the second hardest. I lost 25 pounds in about 3.5 months, and of course gained 20 pounds back in approximately one month, so this cleanse is to jump-start the loss of my gain (sounds wacky huh) and get me back on the road to my goal weight. It’s great reading everyone’s journey! I am excited to be a part of this little community! :)
October 7th, 2008 at 5:52 am
Day 8
It’s amazing how it has taken me 6 days to finally just relax into this. I really struggled the first 4 days and it got easier, but yesterday was great. It’s amazing what comes out of you after not eating for a week!
I can’t tell how much weight I’ve lost but my body feels so different.
I think it was Wendy who said it was mostly cravings that we have not hunger and she is so right.
I even noticed that in the morning after the salt wash I feel a little sad and I was able to make a huge connection between my cravings and my emotions. In fact, I have been able to see how often I eat to relieve discomfort. I know this isn’t breakthrough information, but it is remarkable to notice it within my self and become really conscious of these patterns that I didn’t even know I had!
The funniest thing is seeing how my family reacts to me even just doing this. My sister thinks I’m nuts and my father, a doctor, thinks I’m crazy. I just smile and tell them not to worry.
The best thing that has worked for me and the advice I will pass on, is to take it moment by moment. Just get through each day and don’t stress about doing it for a specific amount of time. Each day I finish is a little miracle!
Thanks all!
October 7th, 2008 at 11:10 am
ok, it’s my third day, and I’m doing well… I’m still having cravings, but I’m mentally aware of them now, whereas before, I’d just eat the first thing I saw…
I weighed myself this morning… only lost a half a pound since yesterday, which is better than nothing…
I had no pains this morning, and I actually woke up an hour earlier than my alarm! but then I got bored being awake so early and went back to bed (haha).
more to come…
October 7th, 2008 at 11:18 am
oh, and Hola mentioned that a nice saltwater bath is good… well, I don’t have a bathtub (shower only) so I decided if I’m not able to EAT chocolate right now, I may as well WASH with it… I used Philosophy’s Hot Cocoa Body Wash… a little expensive, but well worth the scent. I finished it off after the shower by using cocoa butter cream… a nice external “treat” to make up for the lack of internal treats! Yum!
October 7th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
Day 2
About halfway through day 2 and it really hasn’t been as bad as I thought! I actually like the taste of the lemonade, so I have no problems drinking it. Definitely going 14 days, the hardest will be when I have to go out for a friend’s 21st, but I am telling her I can’t come to dinner and will meet them out at the bars (no drink tho, just gona buy her a shot!). So far I have been hungry but not as hungry as I thought… also not having extreme cravings )yet =/) as I have been pushing out every thought of food possible. I really want to get to 21 days so I feel very determined to do so. It helps to not have to think about what I’m going to eat for lunch, din, etc especially because the next couple weeks will be CRAZY with schoolwork. Just one less thing to be stressed about… I do have the white film on my tongue which is kind of weird lol.. also helps that I am jewish and wed night-thurs night I have to fast anyway. Kinda knocks two birds with one stone!
Well anywho, keep it up everyone! :)
October 8th, 2008 at 11:44 am
It’s my fourth day. I’m feeling great, and people (whom I haven’t seen in awhile) have started to notice that I’m losing some weight! I’m down to 146.7lbs (from 152lbs on day 1)….not too shabby!!! I’m excited about this!!!
Bring it on!
October 9th, 2008 at 10:59 am
it’s my 5th day… my stomachache woke me last night and I had to make a trip to the bathroom… bummer… perhaps because of the laxative-tea.
I felt fine this morning… a little tired though.
I’m down to 145.2lbs (from 152lbs)… that’s a 6.8lb loss!
it’s motivating to see the scale numbers get smaller and smaller…
and, with the exception of today, my energy is quite high!
more to come…
October 9th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
**Wendy, way to keep up that positive energy! You deserve praise for that… I had started over again after my “monthly” visitor and between spicey food and chocolate cravings “during” that time, I have had to battle some inner demons and pick myself up and start again. I just wanted to commend you for having the will power to stick it out. I have been struggling to stay on the full 10 to 14 days(weak, I know). I have set another goal for myself… tomorrow is October 10th, my birthday is October 20th, I want to drop another pant size by then, I’m not using the scale I’m going by clothes size and what smaller sizes I can get into. So far I’m down one size. Here’s to 10 full days of the clense… bottoms up!! ;0)
October 9th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
What does the Master Cleanse do to your blood pressure while you are on it?
October 9th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Day 10
Well I made it through, it has been a great experience. I am ready to start back to food, fruit tomorrow and then slowly add food back in.
Over all the fast was a great experience and i have lost 15 lbs. My body feels clean and calm (cannot think of another word) Good luck everyone!
October 9th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
I’m starting tommorow morning. I did it once 5 years ago. It’s still intimidating.
October 10th, 2008 at 7:15 am
Gerald, it will be nice starting at the exact same time as someone else, thanks for signing up to do the cleanse, “intimidating” is exactly right. Here’s to not giving up this time! (yikes)
October 10th, 2008 at 11:38 am
day 6.
ok, i cheated last night and ate about 3 green beans and about 20 little peanuts…. I just need SOMETHING to change the taste in my mouth… I had the urge to CHEW!!! My teeth were feeling neglected and needed to munch.
I was worried that I’d ruin my stomach, but it wasn’t so bad…
but, unfortunately, because of my tiny cheat, I didn’t lose any weight from yesterday to today… :(
this’ll motivate me to stick with it and not cheat for my last few days!!! Almost there!!! I can’t believe I’ve actually stuck with it this far… and to think back on the FIRST day when I wanted to give up and eat chicken and rice!!! I’m proud of myself…
October 10th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
You can do it Wendy, you ARE almost there!! If it gets that bad, get yourself some large fresh carrots, those are good for “munching”, not to mention good for your eyes… will definately come out (uhum) orange.
October 12th, 2008 at 7:25 am
I am starting the cleanse today, please i need help, how much is 1/10 teaspoon ??? I am going crazy not knowing, i am preparing 60oz bottle, how much pepper should i put it in , PLEASE ??
October 12th, 2008 at 7:34 am
I am really trying this diet today.
October 12th, 2008 at 8:15 am
Camille, a 60-ounce portion is 6 or 7 glasses, so you’d need about six- or seven-tenths of a teaspoon. So a slightly heaping half teaspoon worth of cayenne would be right. You should be able to find 1/2-teaspoon measuring spoons.
October 12th, 2008 at 8:18 am
Day 0 - Had my tea at night
Day 1
Woke up went to the bathroom, walked the dogs, drank the salty thing, (NOT bad at all) after reading most comments regarding the water with salt i was scared, i was able to drink it like nothing.
Prepared my lemonade for 2 days worth and Im having my first glass now, someone told me the 1/10 is like a big pinch, so I added 10 pinches intead of 12 lol. It is spicy but spicy good, i love the taste.
Good luck to us all!
October 12th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Thank you CalorieLab :)
October 12th, 2008 at 8:41 am
I have purchased all of my ingredients and drank the salt water solution. I thought the salt water wouldn’t be that bad, but its gross! I feel like I am going to throw up, but I am not giving up on this. I am 25 yr old single mother of two small children. When I had my son, I lost so much weight and was thin, but when I had my daughter, it was a little bit harder. I pre-made 6
bottles of lemonade to drink throughout the day. Please keep me posted and motivated so that I may achieve my goal. I have definitely been going to the bathroom. The lemonade is not that bad!
Laretha
October 12th, 2008 at 8:44 am
I didn’t drink the tea day 0 because I was already going to the bathroom like crazy due to the 1/2 cup of grape juice I had earlier that morning.
October 12th, 2008 at 10:34 am
I’m on day 2, and I’m having trouble drinking even 5 glasses of the lemonade a day :( it’s not that I dislike the taste but I’m not used to drink that much liquid (except for water)….I guess I’ll have to force it.
The salt water didn’t do much for me so I’ve decided to stick to the tea, in the morning as well.
Hoping this will work out!! :)
October 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Make it in water bottle so that you have a bottle with you wherever you go. I know the first three days are going to be so hard because I am hungry and it sucks you can’t eat anything. It is 5:13pm and I have drank three bottles of lemonade so far. The salt water did its job this morning really quick, but I only went twice and that was it. I can’t wait to get through the first three days.
October 12th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I am going to do it for 10 days. I need to lose at least 15 to 20 pounds. I think once I complete the 10 days, I will discipline myself to eat less and exercise more. I am going to substitute some of my meals with a protein shake.
October 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I am going to start this tomorrow. Thanks for the comments, you have all inspired me to give this a try!
October 13th, 2008 at 7:29 am
Well, I got through Day 1. Honestly, it wasn’t that bad. The hardest was when I was cooking fried fish, mac and cheese, and corn for the family. The food smelled so good until I just wanted to take a little piece off and eat it, but I knew I couldn’t. The tea was gross when I first tried it, but it did get it did get better. I drank 4 1/2 bottles of lemonade. I went to bed about 7:30 pm so I didn’t get a chance to drink anymore.
I am on Day 2 and I drank all of my salt mixture. It doesn’t take long to run its course. I am going to the gym for a 30 minute workout. I feel really good. I had a headache last night, but it went away quick. My body has to get adjusted to not eating. I added some lemon to the salt mixture and it was a lot easier to drink.
I have to keep myself occupied so that I don’t think about food and its working. I am super busy and I helps with the cravings. I am going to weigh myself today when I go to the gym and keep track of my weight lost for everyone to see.
WISH ME LUCK EVERYONE!
October 13th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Day 2
I woke up with a little bit of cramps but nothing serious. I didnt drink the water with salt since it was my second day i was scared of what reaction i may have while at the office, so I have a question? does anyone know if i can do the tea in the morning and the salt solution in the afternoon? or is it a no no. Or should i just have the tea twice a day during the weekdays and do the salt solution on the weekends. Someone ?
October 13th, 2008 at 9:24 am
Ok. The salt water doesn’t make me go to the bathroom. Nor does the tea. I need help!
October 13th, 2008 at 10:15 am
I just came back from the gym and I am very upset about my weight. I weighed myself on a digital scale and I weigh 201.4 lbs. I almost broke down and cried when I saw that. I am determined to get back down to a healthy weight. I want to lose 20 lbs and I will do whatever it takes to get back down to 180. I may need to lose 30 and get down to 170 but I am going to take each day at a time.
October 13th, 2008 at 11:44 am
It’s my NINTH day!!!
I’m doing really well… the hardest was going to a wedding on saturday, and the food there was my favorite! Mexican! There were fresh corn tortillas, guac, chips, salsas, ceviche, wine/champagne, shrimp, fish, chicken, beef…and chocolate cake… and even a s’mores bar!!! c’mon!!! But I made it through… people around me couldn’t beleive I wasn’t eating ANYTHING…
I was so proud of myself…
I’m down to 142.7lbs (from 152lbs)…
I’m actually considering going further with this…
I’m really enjoying it…
I think I’m gonna go buy another bottle of syrup, and when I run out, that’s when I’m done with this…
BRING IT ON!!!
October 13th, 2008 at 11:46 am
TO CAMILLE: You should be drinking the tea at night before bed, and the salt water in the a.m… I’d wait to go to work to drink it… and just expect to be around a toilet for the first hour… you’ll only go twice or so, then you’ll be fine for the day… I take the saltwater at work, and it’s no problem…
the saltwater definitely aids with the whole “flushing” process…
good luck!
October 13th, 2008 at 11:49 am
Thank you Wendy, but, i thought you had to have the salt water first thing in the morning, do you actually go to the office without having drank anything else?
October 13th, 2008 at 11:50 am
TO LARETHA:
no worries about your weight… you’ll lose some doing this, and you’ve had 2 kids! Give yourself some credit!!! On one of the days (on this “cleanse”) I actually gained a tiny bit of weight, and was really distraught, but I figured I’d get through it, and I did! I’m only on my ninth day and I’ve lost almost 10lbs.
Take baby steps!!! You’ll see the progress after a few days, and you’ll FEEL the difference, and it’ll motivate you to eat healthier once it’s all over… you’ll see. :)
October 13th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
TO CAMILLE:
yes, I wait until I get to work… It doesn’t take me long to get ready though, so I usually only wake up an hour before work starts… it’s probably different for other people… If you’re more comfortable taking it at home, then take it an hour and a half before you have to LEAVE your house to go… it takes anywhere from 45minutes to 1.5 hours to kick-in… and you do NOT want to be stuck in traffic when it happens… no no no…
I read the real instructions on this cleanse, and the tea at night “loosens” the gunk in you, and the saltwater “flushes” it out in the morning… I’d do it just like that… any other way and you’re not going to acheive the desired effects as quickly.
October 13th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
a lady at work today asked if I was losing weight, and I told her what I was doing… she looked at me like I was crazy… I tol dher I’m not feeling any hunger… just extreme cravings for yummy foods… so then she went on to tell me about her recipe of the yummy butternut squash enchiladas she made the night before… it made my tastebuds feel so lonely and neglected…
have a heart, people… have a heart…
October 13th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Hello!
At the time I only have Morton’s Salt to use for the morning salt water drink. Is that okay for now?
Thanks
J
October 13th, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Hi all,
WOW… I’m not a Beyonce fan but look at where she has brought me. Well… here’s my story. I’m 5′0 and maybe about 180 now! My stomach is blah and I’m having thunder thighs! So… I need to loose weight! I used to be a stunning 7/8, went up to a 9/10 and somehow missed a few #’s and sitting comfortably at a 16! I’m the WORST when it comes to will power. BUT I want and need this to happen- 30 lbs! I was in an accident last year and my leg is still messed up so I’m up and down with exercises.
Few concerns
1… I work downtown and take the train… this bathroom thing sounds dangerous! LOL. I was wondering if I should take the tea at 7pm to allow it to work and then the salt water at like 4am? I’m usually out of the house by 7am.
2… thinking of starting on a Saturday to allow myself to gain the full experince of what to expect. Only problem is I’m always with my boyfriend on the weekends and I can hear the speech now from him… he will NOT approve. BUT he is fasting for the next few weeks (Daniel fast)… do you think I can get away with eating like 3 salads Sat and 1 Sun while I’m with him?? Will I get the same effects?
thanks for your help and advice. i still have more of your posts to read. They are encouraging and hilarious at the same time. Keep at it!
October 14th, 2008 at 6:20 am
Day 3
Wow! I don’t feel that bad! Just have a small headache. I drank my salt water and it does the usual. I woke up in the middle of the night very hungry! I have been going to bed at like 7:30pm. I feel a little bit drained, but hopefully it gets better. I really am determined to lose 20 lbs. I will feel so much better about myself. I have notice my abdomen area is shrinking a lot!
October 14th, 2008 at 6:33 am
Well yesterday wasn’t very good, i started having a headaache in the afternoon and by 9:00 it got worse so i just went to bed. Someone in here was right, it is not the hunger but the craving, i have been craving things that i dont even eat LOL. Anyway, drank my tea and went to bed.
Day 3
Woke a couple of times during the night with a few cramps but nothing too bad, i had put my alarm clock at 6 so i could take the salt water, needles to say I woke up at 7:10, so i didnt drink it :(. I am now at the office.
Oh my second batch of lemonade came out better it think, still very spicy, but remember i like spicy. I dont feel i have lost anything, i am going by my clothes and not my weight. Althoug I know I started at 140.
Wish us all that are on our third day good luck as i hear it can be the worse ! :)
October 14th, 2008 at 7:40 am
I just finished the Master cleanse and never felt better. I was really surprized that I had so much energy during the cleanse. I lost 13 pounds and my skin feels great. My main reason for doing the cleanse was to detox but the weight loss was motivating as well.
A few years ago, I had a severe reaction to aspartame (equal) and gained 20 pounds, had heart palpatations, joint pain and tingling in my hands and feet. Thank God I discovered that the little blue packet I had just started using in my coffee was the culprit. The syptoms went away as soon as I stopped. Unfortunately, I have had trouble losing and keeping the weight off ever since, which seemed to settle aroung my waste line:( My guess is that the toxins from this life threatening substance still remains in my tissues.
My question is this: Is it safe to go back on the cleanse shortly after completing it? I went off because I was going away for the weekend and didn’t want to have to explain why I wasn’t eating to those family members who love to throw out their opinion. I am in the groove with the whole process and would love to go back on for another week or so to make sure I’ve pulled out as many toxins as possible. Any commnets or suggestions would be greatly appreciated
October 14th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Scarlet, congratulations, how may days did you do it. After reading the entire comments, YES i did read them all before starting, I don’t see why it wouldnt be safe to start it again or just continue it, people have done it for 10, 15, 21 and even 40 days. So i dont see a reason why you couldnt. I am on my third day and will do 10. shortly after i was planning on taking a few days off and doing other 10. So let us know what you decided to do.
October 14th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Just came back from the gym from my 20 minute workout. I got on the scale and I am down to 200.4 lbs. I lost a pound since yesterday. I know that isn’t a lot but I am really happy about it. I am determined to lose at least 20 lbs. I would be happy at 15. I have to make my lemonade now and go to work. Congrats Scarlet!
October 14th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Hi Camille, I did the cleanse for the full 10 days and then weaned into my regular diet for 3 more days. I started eating regular (with a few moderations….healthy ones) on Friday and decided that today (after reading through the history of comments) that I will start again. I made up my day’s worth lemonade drink and drank my tea last night and again this morning. That’s the other thing….I could not stomach the SWF and so I modified it with drinking the tea in the morning and at night. Other then the early wake-up cramps, it worked well for me. Two of my fiends just completed the 10 day cleanse and they did really well too! I never really felt hungry after the first two days but the cravings were hard to manage.
I love to cook and honestly cooked more in those 13 days then I ever had before. My kids couldn’t believe that I could spend so much time preparing food without eating it. I guess it just made me feel better being around it:) Good luck to you on your quest. It really is a life altering experience:)
So here goes…………another Day 1 for me :-0
October 14th, 2008 at 10:00 am
TO JACQUELINE:
REGULAR SALT WILL NOT WORK!!! you can use any brand, but it MUST be non-iodized salt… this is the only kind of salt that will stick to the water molecules and flush out the system… the regular table salt will be absorbed into your body, and you don’t want that. :)
October 14th, 2008 at 10:06 am
TO SHANNON:
no, you cannot eat anything while on this cleanse…it won’t work… plus, the remnants of lettuce take longer to digest fully in the body that chewing gum!
and, you should take the saltwater about 2hours before you have to LEAVE for work… It takes about an hour to kick-in, and you’ll want to be around a toilet for about 30 minutes once it does kick-in… believe me…
I really recommend reading up on this before trying it… you really must follow the instructions to a “T” to gain its benefits. Perhaps buying the book, or printing out some instructions to gain more knowledge on what you’re about to do with your body…
a wonderful site: [link to pirated PDF of Burroughs' book redacted -- Thanks for the contribution, Wendy, but Alisa Burroughs owns the copyright and has not authorized downloadable versions and objects to linking to such sites]
print it out and keep it with you…
that’s waht I did, and everything’s gone really well for me. :)
October 14th, 2008 at 10:17 am
So, it’s my 10th day, and though I had PLANNED on completion today, I went out and bought some more lemons and syrup… I’m gonna go for about 4-5 more days, then stop… I’m feeling really comfortable with this fast, and I’m losing weight, and my skin looks great, and I feel really good (not to mention the amount of money I”m saving on groceries, right?!)… So, I’m gonna keep on truckin’.
I’m down to 141.6lbs (from 152lbs)… and I”d like to get down to about 136…so I figure 5 days=5pounds…. I’m going for it.
TO SCARLETT: congrats for finishing it!!! I think that people might look at us like we’re crazy or something, or they might feel sorry that we’re not eating all the yummy foods, but I think they’re just missing out… one must be experiencing the cleanse to really know what we’re going through… it’s tough, but well worth it. :)
wish me luck… I’m going to a hockey game tonight… luxury box seats… and all the free foods and desserts that a person could want…. but I dare not touch any of it… grr…
October 14th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
i’m starting the cleanse today and unfortunately have realized that my student income cannot support the price of lemons!!! does anyone know if you are allowed to use organic lemon juice??
October 14th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
ha? wouldn’t that be more expensive that buying regular lemons or limes at your local grocery store? I don’t know if you have bought the ingredients but the organice maple syrup aint cheap …. on the other hand you will spend the first time like 40 dollars but think that you wont spend more for 10 days except for lemons. Check out local stores, i am sure you can find a good deal on them. :) Good luck !
October 14th, 2008 at 6:24 pm
WENDY/ALL:
On my Morton’s Salt, it says “non-iodized salt”, will it work then?
Thanks so much
Jacqueline
October 14th, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I did not drink any lemonade today. All I had was 2 bottles of water and I had the salt water enema this morning. I am going to have my tea tonight. I just don’t feel too well.
October 14th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
I’m starting the diet tomorrow, and I’m pretty nervous. I bought all the ingredients a couple days ago, made the lemonade (which I actually found enjoyable) to try, and have been drinking the laxative tea at night to prepare for tomorrow. I wanted to say how gratefull I am to this site and all it’s participants for sharing their experiences with this diet. Very very cool. My biggest concern, as I’m sure it has been with others, is the salt water in the morning. I manage a cafe, and I’m alone a few mornings starting at 6am until around 10am, and I’m wondering if drinking the salt water at night rather than in the morning might be a better solution for me. Does anyone know if this has an adverse result? Is there a specific reason for doing the salt water in the morning, or can it be done at anytime, as long as it’s done? Thanks in advance for your help!
October 15th, 2008 at 6:59 am
Day 4
Well I am in shock of how “good” i feel, of course i get hungry and get severe cravings and my headache hasn’t left me, besides that I can’t believe it’s been three days with nothing but liquids in my system. I haven’t weighed myself, and the clothes fit almost the same, so maybe i aint loosing weight, I will know tonight when i get on the scale. The mornings are easy cause i am never hungry anyway, i start getting “annoyed” like by 1 and from then on till I go to bed LOL. For some reason I am in a better mood than i had been lately and feel somewhat of an energy boost. My Lemonade tastes like ^&%$ I dont know if the lemons went bad or what but it is from the same badge i drank from yesterday and it was fine. Well looking froward to getting through this day!
P.S. GOOD LUCK MATHEW !!!! … I have no idea about doing the salt at night instead of the morning, I too wanted to know that and didnt get a response, so I haven’t been drinking it. If you get the response please let me know.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:46 am
TO JAQUELINE: yes, any kind of non-iodized salt will work. :)
TO ANNIE: the money you’ll be spending on lemons will probably be cheaper than those 10 days worth of groceries anyway! I say buy a few days worth of lemons at a time… where is it that you live that makes the lemons so pricey?
TO MATTHEW: it’s preferable if you take the tea at night and the saltwater in the a.m… it’s imperative that you follow these directions to obtain the desired affects of the cleanse… maybe set your alarm early, take the saltwater, and go back to bed… you’ll wake up in about an hour or so to use the restroom… stay near a toilet for about 30 minutes, and then after that, you should be fine for the remainder of the day.
October 15th, 2008 at 10:55 am
It’s my 11th day… I’m a little light-headed today…
I went to a hockey game last night and had luxury box seats… The free foods, drinks, and desserts LOOKED amazing, but unfortunately I couldn’t eat any!!! AAAAHHH!!! Oh, well, 3 day’s left…. almost there…
I DID cheat a bit last and ate a few nuts at the game… they made my stomach hurt a lot… I won’t do THAT again…
I’m ready to eat solid foods again… I miss it… I want a yummy salad…
October 15th, 2008 at 10:56 am
i just want food :(
October 15th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Today is my lead-in day for the MC, and I have to say that I’m feeling remarkably like I’m high (probably why I need to do this cleanse in the first place….lol).
Hasn’t been too bad: had a carton of organic strawberries throughout the morning, along with the lemonade, and then a pomegranate in the afternoon. Had about three glasses of the lemonade so far, and I’m LOVING the cayenne!
A friend who did the MC before is bringing me senna pods tomorrow, but can I just do the saltwater for now? I was reading on other sites that the salt water at night is okay, but I’ve read through most of the posts here, and there’s a lot of mixed opinion. Does anyone know exactly WHY the saltwater needs to be in the morning? I’m really REALLY not functional in the mornings, and it’s all I can do to get out the door w/o forgetting crucial things like wallets and phones.
October 15th, 2008 at 3:49 pm
to H:
you’re really not supposed to be eating ANYTHING while on this cleanse… it’s a liquid cleanse only… you’re only supposed to be taking the lemonade 6-12 times a day, a tea at night, and the saltwater in the morning… it’s essential to take the tea at night because it loosens the toxins… and the the saltwater in the morning flushes (literally) it all out within an hour of drinking it. I only drink half of the quart of saltwater, and believe me, it still does it’s job…
October 15th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
I’m starting tomorrow. On my way out to the grocery for my ingredients. Can someone please help me with the AMOUNT of sea salts to be placed in the morning salt water drink?
October 15th, 2008 at 4:30 pm
today is my first day of the cleanse, I’ve done it once before about 6 months ago for 5 days. I’m going for ten this time.
I’m doing the cleanse for detox purposes only. Last time I did the cleanse, it was amazing and empowering, I was released from all addictive cravings and I was full of new found energy!
I feel the most important is to come off slowly and to not get stressed if you don’t make it to your planned date. Sometimes during the middle you can think to yourself, “I can do this for forty days.” but then the next day you might think you’ve had enough. I really feel that pride and ego can play a part, so it’s important to push yourself, but only a reasonable amount. You know your body better than your doctor.
blessings, energy, and triumph to all who desire health, happiness, and longevity
Joe
October 16th, 2008 at 5:54 am
Day 5
I am feeling very good, I used to wake up all tired and “beachy”, I havent like in three days. I went yesterday to buy more lemons, and i found like 16 organic limes (my favorite) for 5 bucks at Whole Foods, so Annie, if you have a Whole Foods near you try there. I don’t want to be gross, but i have to tell you, I really feel (and see) toxins leaving my body jeje, I would have never thought of toxins being of a flourescent green hahahahahahaha.
Wendy, I am also doing 2 cups of the salt water and it has worked so far. One thing concerns me though, I have sensitive teeth VERY sensitive I should say, and yesterday they were bothering me, that scares me cause i will drop the cleanse in a mili sec if the teeth discomfort continues, i wont jeopardize that. So if anyone has had a similar problem, please advise.
See you later in the day ! Have a good morning everyone.
October 16th, 2008 at 6:37 am
so i had all intentions of starting the MC yesterday but i was terribly ill and had to put something in my stomach so i had a bowl of chicken broth and a piece of whole wheat dry toast. today will be my first “official” day of the cleanse and i’m prepared and ready.
October 16th, 2008 at 8:22 am
so, I’m on the second day, and boy the cravings are tough. I manage a cafe, and those delicious buttery croissants have never looked so good! i’m praying that I can keep these cravings under control. I didn’t get much sleep last night, because I kept thinking about food! Also, I’m feeling really really tired and worn out. Is this a typical feeling for the first couple days? I’ve heard that by day 3 and 4 you start feeling better again. I sure hope so, I’m having to hold myself back from these pastries!!
October 16th, 2008 at 8:36 am
day 2
the first is the worst, and I love to observe my minds reaction to all this discipline! Repeatedly the mind will try to bring the attention to something that it has been addicted to for a long time, it seems the more we just steer the mind away from these thoughts and back to the focus at hand, the more the mind will start to give up on trying to control the will. I find using a mantra while on the cleanse to be very useful, I also believe yoga and tai chi to be very helpful. Don’t be afraid to be around food, if you confront it and deny it, you become that much stronger and able to deal with the cleanse.
peace and prosperous journeys to all who quest onward in their consciousness,
Joe
October 16th, 2008 at 9:17 am
Hey Joe, that has been the most uplifting advise for me thus far. Thank you for your wonderful “energy” you give out. I meditate and breathe deeply, especially at night and when I exhale I feel so much better, like I’m finally accomplishing what I set out to do with this cleanse….
Matthew I have had to start this over about three times since September 1st. After much procrastination, I think I have gotten all my excuses and cravings out of the way, this will be day one for me(again), I’m keeping a day to day log this time and writing out the “pros” and “cons” on why I need to stick to this and not give up. I’m finding alot of this is definately mind over matter and alot of my problem with not having been able to stick to it of course was addiction, emotional eating and stress, I’ve got them pegged this time.
*** Much credit to you for fighting off temptation… hang in there!! ***
October 16th, 2008 at 9:25 am
Mathew.- My worse day was day 2 BY FAR !!! horrible mood, screamed at everyone was about to break it, a “sheety” migrane, and same as you that first night i couldnt sleep i woke up many times dreaming that i was eating.
Tomorrow will be better you will see :) Hang in there :)
October 16th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
My leg seems enlarged (dropsy?) though I start feeling restless at nights. It is normal? Should I stop the program now, or continue? Thanks.
October 16th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
thank you AP, deep breathing can be very beneficial at anytime. Tai chi teaches that when we exhale deeply we are purging toxins and negativity. I truly believe if the intentions of the cleanse are to purify, be healthier and happier, then the experience will be life changing.
Self discipline and self mastery are a huge part (whether known or not) to this process and the process of learning to live harmoniously. All who desire to better themselves are truly embarking on a path of righteousness. I feel it is important to understand that this cleanse is more then just a diet. I believe that is why Stanley Burroughs likes to mention the fasting performed by Moses and Jesus. This is an exploration of ones mind, self, and consciousness more than anything else. If a person goes their whole life with a full stomach, then they only know life as it is with a full stomach. There is a Zen saying: There is a person who eats sparingly that is never hungry, There is a person who constantly eats that is never satisfied.
I hope I’m not coming off as pompous, these are just ideas and experiences I have danced with for a long time.
blessings, peace, and hope to all who embark on the path of self-discovery,
Joe
October 16th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Joe: Not pompous in the least… ENLIGHTENING, thanks sooo much, would like to hear more: c-yourself@hotmail.com , a friend of mine who recently moved to LA was into all of that, Jiu-Jitsu, Reiki etc. Pretty awesome…
October 16th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Yippie! I told my boyfriend and he seemed interested in this! So I’ll start this tomorrow night! I’ll attempt 5 days. Do you know if I can use that lemon juice or lime juice thats in the little plastic bottle that looks like a lime??
Thanks for the tips and responses Wendy!
October 17th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
Shannon, I don’t think the plastic lemon juice would work, the recipe calls for “organic” lemons, they have the natural acids in them to get the job done. I wouldn’t go with anything other than real lemons, anything else is artificial and probably has preservatives in it as well.
October 17th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Hey everyone,
I’m currently on day five of the cleanse. This is the second time I’ve done it, the first time being last summer when I lasted for twelve days. I’m actually finding it a lot easier this time around. Last summer I was working on losing weight and so I drastically lowered the amount of maple syrup I was putting into the lemonade as well as seriously increased the cayenne pepper. Which basically made the drink taste like hell in an 8 oz cup. This time I’m putting the whole two tablespoons of syrup and sticking to the 1/10 of a teaspoon of pepper- and I’ve got to say I’m finding the lemonade delicious. Particularly after the salt water flush; anything would taste good after that catastrophe. This time I’m excited about the good that I’m doing for my body. Got to get rid of them toxins! Of course, the weight loss is also an added perk it happens. I’m finding that I’m a lot more energetic and suffering from way less cravings then I did the first time around. These first five days haven’t been bad at all really. Not even the first three. I’m a university student and I’ve been taking a running class this quarter and I don’t feel myself affected by the lack of solid foods at all. If anything, I feel like I have way more energy. I’m doing a minimum of ten days and I would really like to reach 20. However, I’m not too sure I’ll able to pull off that very intimidating number.
You guys are all very inspirational and I’m glad to be able to share my experiences with you. Stay safe and happy!
October 17th, 2008 at 8:27 pm
thinking about starting the MC diet. Do I have to drink the salt water in the morning for the diet to work? I really dont think I can drink that:(
October 18th, 2008 at 12:08 am
Hi, Guys!!!
Basically Im one of those types of people who have tried everything. Some results but mostly yo-yoing (If thats a word). I’ve heard even since being a little girl of the Miracle Cleanse Fast. I decided to go on it because I turn 20 in Feb. and do not want to devout 2 decades of my life to being overweight. It started at 7 and eventually fluctuated to 19……but it stops here and now! My weight at the start of thecleanse ( Oct 14) is..(you ready for this?) 276 (OMG Can’t believe I admitted it out loud.!!!) I’m 5′11 so its evenly distributed. But that was my problem I didn’t look overweight just like maybe 30-40 lbs not 120!!! So I didn’t feel the need to diet until you start bumping into things and fitting a little snug in regular places ( gotta love those movie theater and airplane seats) SO I’m at day 3 and I feel alright day2 had a slight headache, but other than that fine. I want to do this for 14 days. But hopefully I will have the will power for 21, 25 or maybe even 40. It is hard when your doing it yourself and like many have said you hear alot of criticism but like I explain to my critics if you had the weight on you wouldnt u try the most drastic thing to get results you want especially if you put your mind to it? There’s a point in everyones life when they are DONE! Mine was 5 mos ago realizing I was going to weigh in at 300 in 7 more pounds if I kept at the rate I was going. Don’t get me wrong I wasn’t an excess eater. Just a slow metabolism, inherited curves, and stressed induced bingeing added to the Dilemma. But On this Fast I feel lighter and hopefully will lose an adequate amount of the weight to jump-start to a better healthier lifestyle. P.S. It’s so crazy how people feel the same way you do and react the same way when going through things. i.e. (I hate the salt water also I gagged the first day and had nausea.) Tried to take it yesterday couldn’t finish the bottle. But im gonna get back on board with the salt cuz I wanna do it right good luck to everyone!!!!
October 18th, 2008 at 7:10 am
Hello everyone!
I am thrilled to be joining you all on this Master Cleanse adventure. I heard about it because I bought some of those detox food pads the other day and went on the internet to see what people were saying, and someone on a message board had recommended this cleanse so I googled it and here I am! All of your comments convinced me to give it a try, so bravo!
I am trying this mainly for the detox purposes. I have been fighting off a nasty cold all week, and then noticed that the morning after I tried the foot pads, I felt a lot better. This also could’ve been from the capful of nyquil I took as well or just my natural immune system functioning, who knows, but the idea of a detox appeals to me right now. I tried a Whole Foods brand pill cleanse last fall and found it to be pretty lackluster. I also read “Skinny Bitch” last fall (I know, I know) and gave up all meat except for seafood (love sushi, clam chowder, and tuna melts too much!). I wasn’t really successful on giving up dairy, since cheese is the love of my life. Alas…
So although I say this is for detox, I also have an ulterior motive. Obviously, I wouldn’t mind shedding a few pounds as well! I am currently in an “accept myself the way I am” phase, and that’s been going well. But I’m going to visit friends in Miami for Halloween, and all of the fat-masking costumes I can think of would probably be pretty uncomfortably hot in that clime… and dropping 12 lbs would be enough to get me into some airier getups so I don’t end up sweating all over the people of South Beach. I am a 26 y/o female, 5′9.5″, weighed in this morning at 197.5. Which actually isn’t as bad as I thought it might be, I hadn’t been on the scale in months and worried I might be over 200. So, yay! My weight through college was around 180-185, and I looked great then, but in high school I was at 160 and, after a post-breakup binge session or twenty, have never been able to get back there. I’m curious what it would be like. At the very least, I want to lose these evil 12 lbs that snuck on summer 2007 when I switched my birth control pill brand for 1 month. 12 pounds in 1 month, ridiculous! But judging from what others have written here, I might be able to lose that much in 10 days, so I guess I shouldn’t blame that pill too much… and that is what I’m shooting for this first time around, 10 days. And MAYBE even transitioning to a raw foods-ish diet after that… we’ll see. Also, I don’t plan to weigh myself until the last day. But I will be sure to post it on here when I do!
I have just started my first day on this routine, getting through the salt water. I actually don’t mind it too much, probably because I am generally a salt FIEND and put it on just about everything, from pizza to sandwiches, even salads… I know, gross huh? But that’s me. Maybe it comes from growing up near the ocean and swallowing too much salt water as a kid. And my blood pressure is fabulous! I have yet to finish this lovely concoction and am already seeing “results.” That must mean it’s working! Of course I went all-out last night in “last supper” style, devouring a pound and a half of indian food from the Whole Foods hot bar. So there might be a lot to process this morning. We shall see…
I confess, I’m cheating a bit. The organic lemons were 99 cents each last night where I live… I’m frugal and I just couldn’t justify it! I bought 100% pure organic lemon juice instead. I mean Mister Burroughs isn’t exactly about to come hunt me down and correct me, and he also didn’t have the miracle of Whole Foods when he wrote his little treatise, did he? If I can substitute fresh sugarcane juice, then I don’t see why I can’t substitute organic lemon juice. It’s going to cost me an arm and a leg to keep buying this maple syrup, anyway! $19 does not buy you very much organic maple syrup these days!!! I should make my brother bring me some from VT.
Wow, this comment is getting long so I should stop. The others probably won’t be this lengthy. But I do enjoy reading other people’s blog-style updates, I find them very informative, so I will strive to make mine informative as well. And also humorous, if possible. Cheers!
October 18th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Hi everyone!
Still in the midst of Day 6 and things are good. I’ve found that it really works for me to get all six cups of lemonade down before five o’clock. After five, it’s just water and tea until the morning’s salt flood. Detox Queen, I hear you about the price of maple syrup. I was buying some more today (11.99) and the check out girl asked me if I was making golden pancakes. I really didn’t want to go into the details of my life with a stranger and a line of strangers behind me, so I said it was for a chemistry lab and only the purest of maple syrups could work. Slick, I know. I’m pretty sure I was blushing like crazy. I just don’t think I should have to deal with all the judging you know? It’s my body and i know what’s best for it.
I considered buying a bottle of Blue Agave Syrup (supposedly that can be used in place of the syrup- it’s organic and only three dollars) but it only has sixty calories per the 210 calories of the same amount of maple syrup. Since I’m doing the running class and since I might try for 20 days, I’m not begrudging myself the sugar and carb calories.
Also, the salt water cleanse is not the worst thing in the world for me. I absolutely HATE the taste of the Senna. It tastes like tree bark with an odd oily residue that makes me want to gag every time.
Kay, good luck everyon!
October 18th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
Hello Everyone,I just started the Master Cleanse today. I have had about 6 8oz of the lemonade. I will take the herbal tea before bed. I am looking forward to the salt flush in the morning. The lemonade taste was not bad. I am so motivated from reading all the posted comments. I am not at all thinking about the taste. I am just looking forwarded to completing the process. My goal is to do the master cleanse for 10 days. I am not trying to loose weight. I am more interested in the detox. If I happen to loose some weight that would be good. I just dont want to get disappointed if I set a goal for loosing weightt and it doesnot happen. I will keep you posted with my progress
I wish everyone the best of luck……..Jin
October 18th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
day 4…
drinking tea before bed and my consciousness is expanding rapidly.
tis’ more than a cleanse in my eyes.
it seems the cayenne might make the throat a little soar.
i recommend yoga, tai chi, and massage to help release, squeeze and purge the toxins.
power, triumph and prosperity to all who embark on this path.
please be wise and safe.
namaste,
joe
October 19th, 2008 at 6:38 am
Made it through Day 1! Let’s not kid ourselves here, that alone is an accomplishment… many people probably wouldn’t make it that far, guys. I almost didn’t, after I was out at the bar with friends last night and they were chastising me and saying, “is that really healthy? We don’t think it’s a good idea…” and I was starting to feel a little woozy and went out to the car to get some more lemonade, held myself off from ordering a pizza. But they’re both skinny already so I can’t listen to them too much on this one… peer pressure! Of course if I really do feel terrible, I should stop. I used to faint occasionally in my high school/college years, but haven’t since then. We’ll see how it goes.
Also, what didn’t help was that I was getting caught up on Tivoed sitcoms at my parents’ house and watched the season premiere of The Office and saw Kelly passing out and hospitalized from doing this cleanse… which obviously is a little extreme of them to portray that way. But as I said, if I don’t make it through the full 10 days, it will probably be due to fear of fainting or actually doing it. The cravings really haven’t been that bad so far! And I’m definitely getting them, but I seem to be better able to handle them than I have in other diets I’ve tried. Emotional eating has definitely been the main component to my weight gain over the years, so this is a huge step in the right direction!
I do think the most important part of this regime is the saltwater flush in the morning. It’s the whole point of the diet, right? I’ve been feeling a little queasiness so far today as I sense old nasty toxins are getting ready to evacuate. It’s amazing and disgusting, the stuff we build up in our bodies over time. I’m sure it will only get more interesting from here(!!!). And I’m not too hungry this morning, which is good. I had about 8 of the lemonades yesterday, which seemed to be a good amount for me. I’m not used to eating a lot of hot foods, so the Cayenne had a real kick to it! Yowza!
Joe, I will wait for the consciousness expansion… I’m also really into that subject matter. Working on an emotional “detox” these days as well! Out with the old, in with the new… just hopefully not new toxins!
Good luck everyone, keep up the good work!
October 19th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Hi, this will be my second 10-master cleanser, I’ve done several 3 to 5 day cleansers and 21-half days, but not the entire 10-days. I just came from the gym and made my concoction. I added flaxseeds to my first cup of mixture and blend. I have a Jack Lelanne Juicer, so i just drop the lemons and limes in the juicer. Thereafter, I drink about 80 onces a day along with water. It is very important to drink a lot of water while cleansing. I drink the salt water as a shot and then drink the full amount of water following the shot. It is hard for me to drink that much salt water at once.
While the Master Cleanser has its physical benefits, it really helps to get your mind, body, and soul in one accord if that is what you need. That is what I need and so desire. It helps you to become strong and reveal your weakness and deplete those cravings. No matter your spiritual beliefs, it puts you closer to the Divine as well as your divine self.
Today is day one for me, I didn’t eat anything after 6pm last night. I just sipped on pomagranted green tea. So far, I am hungry, but am determine to hammer these ten days out. I will keep you posted on my progress!
Good luck to the rest of you!
October 19th, 2008 at 11:06 am
Well…I think I’m going to try this..I would like to try 10 days to start and see how I do from there. I’m a bit concerned because I have IBS. Does any one know if this causes you to have more problems when you are finished with the cleansing? I was hoping it would help my problem. Thanks for your help in this matter.
October 19th, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Hello Again!
Just a lil’ bit of insight and update! So I was really nervous about getting on the scale too quickly after starting the cleanse. It’s Day 5 and I still feel great! Well I couldn’t hold out to my weekly weigh-in like I said sooooo (drumroll please!!!!) I now weigh in at 265.2-11lbs weight loss since the start on TUESDAY!!! On the positive the tea is amazing It really works!!!! On the negative, When your stomach starts to rumble it really does feel like your dying, but it will pass. I just cant get myself to drink that saltwater which could probably be holding back more weight loss. But I am gonna try what Souky said (take it as a shot,and get it over with). I notiice I am peeing alot not really doing the other. So I think the saltwater will get that going. I notice the toxins coming out of body alot through my face. I never had ache problems but I swear I know its apart of the process but I so ready to buy some proactiv! I’m even getting cold sores and my lips are really dry! But in the longrun it will benefit.
P.S. To Detox Queen- I had the same problem with fainting from dehydration and just not eating much in high school . I was wondering also if I would start to do it again but It’s Day 5 and nothing yet so thats good! I also used to get the shakes when I didn’t have sugar in my body but again nothing so I think when he created the recipe he knew what the body needs to maintain itself. People always give us the scare tactic of blacking out or starving ourselves but just tell them its beyond us. We eat wayyyy more than our body actually needs to function. My cousin got the Lap-Band and she is only required to eat like a 6oz chicken, 1/2 rice ,and veggies so yeah it may not get you so stuffed that you have to unbutton your pants but youll notice you won’t be hungry. It’s all in the mind. Good Luck !
October 19th, 2008 at 2:47 pm
hey everyone,
it’s day five and I’m super alive!
praise bless and thrive!
October 19th, 2008 at 8:33 pm
how does this work as far as eliminating waste? will i constantly have to use the restroom? will i be able to do this while working full time? please let me know! thank you,
ray
October 19th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I just want to share my thoughts and experience for anyone to be helped in any way shape or form.
I’ve done the cleanse before 5 months ago for 5 days, i did the cleanse for five days today, both times i wanted to go for ten. both times i broke down at five and came off the cleanse way too fast and almost gorged myself both times. i’m not overweight i probably weight 125 at 5′8. i normally don’t think of myself as someone with overeating or gorging. i like the detox thing though. i just ant to say that it’s probably really better to just go for 3 days or something so you can really come off the cleanse the right way. when you go so long, even if your not super addicted to food , when you give in a little you just can’t help yourself…
really, i just want to help and share my experience.
as i said today was my five days and i just was like “i wanna eat food” and went and bought orange juice and stuff to make bean burritos w/ cheese, tomato, and avocado. i drank the orange juice trying to prepare my stomach and and then made and ate two medium size burritos. i feel my stomach shrunk too much to eat that much. this is the second time i did it. i’ll be all right. i’m sure you will too. i just think it’s much better to start with a small date, like 2 or 3 days, and come off slowly for health and weight issues. like i said i don’t have a weight problem, if i do it’s being too skinny and thinking i shouuld eat more and gain weight. that also may be why this is my experience,. but i’m fairly sure this will happen to mostly everyone if they don’e take my advice.
i still might just eat one meal tomorrow. i think the point is not to be extreme with the cleanse and change your eating habits and patterns over a lenghty period of time. maybe just doing the cleanse for three days, come off properly for the extra 3 days, stat to only eat vegetarian, allot of fruit ,veggies and nuts maybe fast for a meal here and there and only drink water, maybe fast for a day on only juice, or fruit. simple gradual steps. maybe three days of the cleanse again two or 3 months later, while still coming off properly. i think that’s the most important.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MAKE A SIMPLE GOAL LIKE 1,2, OR THREE DAYS, SO THE PROPER THREE EXTRA DAYS CAN BE FOLLOWED PROPERLY! THAT’S THE HARDEST PART! STOPPING EATING CAN BE EASY, IT’S SLOWLY COMING OFF THE CLEANSE AND NOT GORGING YOURSELF SICK, THAT’S THE HARD PART!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BE SAFE AND WELL, I WISH YOU ALL HAPPINESS, HEALTH, LOVE, PEACE, BLISS, AND JOY.
NAMASTE,
JOE
October 20th, 2008 at 9:13 am
Day 1:
I just started this morning with the salt water cleanse. It helps to read comments from everyone and Know I’m not doing it alone. I’m nervous I won’t be able to stand the hunger. I actually don’t mind the drink at all.
October 20th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Hey everyone!
Day 8! It almost feels surreal. I’m actually proud of myself for making it this far. Of course, since my goal is 20 days, I’m not even halfway there- but I feel pretty good for someone who hasn’t had solid food in eight freaking days. This time has been sooo much easier than the first time I tried the cleanse. I can’t figure out why but I’m super relieved it’s been easier. Obviously I get cravings- particularly when I pass by restaurants or have to go to the grocery store and only get lemons when the cheese aisle looks so dang good. But I feel pretty at peace with that even. I was a vegetarian for two years and a vegan for about a week and a half before starting this cleanse again. Of course on the day before day 0 I completely gorged myself on quiche (which involved lovely little bits of ham)- kind of as a farewell to solids. I know, really stupid.
But I’m determined to become a full fledged vegan after my twenty days are up. I don’t know that I’d be able to pull the raw food deal, but I find that I actually agree with what many vegans say about the benefits of their diet. I don’t know that humans really need to be drinking milk after they’ve been weaned off it as babies.
Ray: I think you should try to start the cleanse on a weekend so that you can gauge how soon you’ll need to use the toilet after taking the saltwater. I find it really doesn’t constrain me too much at all. Just wake up super early (I would give about two hours from the time you drink to the time you won’t have regular access to a toilet) drink the foul thing and wait and see. I get the rumbles pretty quickly but I don’t need to make a beeline for the porcelain god until about two hours after taking it. That said, it’s different for everyone, so start on the day with the fewest commitments.
I haven’t weighed myself yet- which I’m kind of proud of. I think I’ll wait till Wednesday (my day ten) to do it. I just don’t want this cleanse to be only about weight loss. I am 5′1 and I started at around 125 to 126 pounds so I don’t know how quickly the pounds may or may not come off. I’m gonna not sweat it. I’m pretty sure I can see a difference- despite not weighing myself. My waistline looks smaller, for which I’m grateful. And I do feel a lot more energy- for which I’m even more grateful. Maybe I won’t even weigh myself on Wednesday? It would be cool if I could make it to the end of the cleanse without bother to weigh in.
I just wanted to share a personal note on what Joe said about gorging himself on food immediately after stopping the cleanse. I’m glad you’re okay Joe but everyone else: PLEASE DO NOT GORGE YOURSELF AFTER GOING WITHOUT FOOD FOR SO LONG. PLEASE. I was a silly girl after I stopped the cleanse at day 12 two summers ago. I was just so hungry for something solid and flavorful! I went out and bought a ton of food (which included a huge bag of Cool Ranch Doritos) and i consumed all of it. I was still a vegetarian, but I was gorging myself on far more food then I needed- like I was afraid someone was going to take it from me or something. Suffice it to say, that after about two or three days of acting like a pre-hibernation grizzly bear I wound up in the emergency room. I had a severe pain on the lower right part of my chest area which lanced straight through the corresponding part of my back. It hurt. It hurt so very badly. The doctor had to prescribe Vicodin so that I could sleep. The doctors were not entirely sure what happened, but it seemed that my gallbladder had kind of drawn in upon itself because it had no clue what to do with all the fat that was suddenly flooding my body after not having any solid foods for so long. You guys, I’m fine now, and I intend to be very careful about how I come off this diet- but please, please no matter how tempting it is to not follow the directions for coming off the cleanse and to stuff yourself- please don’t do it.
Be HAPPY and SAFE,
Anneliese
October 20th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I finished my 11-day cleanse about 5 days ago… and everything in the “after-life” of the cleanse is going really well… I’m trying to keep the weight off by eating healthy and working out. I’ve kept the weight off. I finished off by doing the orange-juice-day, and then “nothing but broth” the following day, and easing my way back into eating real food. This cleanse (if completed correctly) definitely changes the way you look at food, and the way you EAT it too… I’m knowingly taking smaller bites, and chewing those bites until everything’s liquified in my mouth (sorry if it sounds gross)… then I swallow… I try to focus on the positive things that the food is doing for my body, whereas before I’d just “suck it down” without even realizing what I’d just eaten! I’m excited about buying myself some new tupperware and cookware so I can make healthy and fresh homemade meals. I now enjoy smelling the food, and looking at the food before ingesting it.
The 11 days was really dificult for me, but I”m really proud of myself and I’m respecting my body more than ever before… I hope that all of you have luck in doing the same. I plan to do another 10-or-11-day cleanse in January as well… just to start the new year off in a healthy way.
October 20th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
i’ve tried this before with a good friend of mine… failed miserably the first night.. we also didnt start out right.. i’m ready to start again.. i’m thinking this weekend when i dont have to start the cleanse at work.. hopefully i’ll be successful this time around.. reading everyone’s comments is really inspiring..
so i might have simply just missed the how-to on the subject but what do i need to do for the pre-diet? slowly stop eating what i usually eat?
October 20th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
I started the cleanse today, complete with the salt water first thing this morning. It wasn’t so bad with a bit of lemon juice. What WAS bad was my first batch of the lemonade which was more like cajun water. I was trying to make a full day’s worth and went way overboard with the pepper. Not a good idea. So I wasted a few lemons the first time out, but did opt for single-servings the remainder of the day and it wasn’t awful. Now admittedly I’ve been a little hungry but not nearly as much as I thought. This is especially good for me since I’m a grazer and tend to eat all day long. I know I’ll have to commit to this day-by-day. 10 days seems like a LONG time from now.
October 20th, 2008 at 6:57 pm
Nixe, I am on the eve of my 10th day. I can honestly tell you that the ONLY reason i made it so far (bellieve me when i say that) is that I took it not only at a day by day basis, but a moment by moment, I made it to myself very clear that i wasn’t going to “suffer”. And look at me “10″ days into it and if i hadnt a very important thing to do on Sunday I would keep on going, of course always with the mind set of “I will break it as soon as I feel like it” Did I feel like it? pfffft many many many times a day and i would just think, ok this one glass of lemonade, this one glass of water, this one tea etc. You will do great, you’ll see. Did I mention i am not a will power person? :) Good luck.
Jasmine, no need to do anything (it is not required) the only thing though that you should do is drink the herbal laxative tea the night before you start. Before the tea I had friend chicken with potato salad, bread and a special mayo sauce that i make to garnish the chicken LOL
To the rest I will post later :)
October 20th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Well..here I go..again. I tried it onece before…I only got to day 3, but i did lose the bloated feeling. I’m sticking to it for at least 5 days. just to jump start my diet and go back to eating and exercising like I used to..or as close as I used to, I don’t have that free time like i did back then. I hope i just don’t get caught at work having to run to the restroom. i usually try to be polite and go to anohter floor. but if this is going to get that serious, I’m just gonna have say “sorry” when I blow the bowl!
October 21st, 2008 at 7:43 am
So i just started the cleanse, and the salt water was terrible. I was gagging every time i took a sip, but still managed to get it down in about 20 minutes. I found it better to, when you started to sip, drink as much as you can at once without stopping. This got it down faster, and even though i drank more, i still had the same taste in my mouth as if i took a little sip. About 20-30 minutes later it was bathroom time. And wow. haha. No stomach pain, just the sense and urge to go. I’m very curious as to how much weight i lose, how hungry i will be, and how my will power will come in to play during the next 10 days.
October 21st, 2008 at 7:43 am
Hi, i am on my 2 day.. i feel good.. reading all this comments make me feel better..
good luck to everyone!!
October 21st, 2008 at 7:48 am
Wendy,
i read all your comments :)
how much weight did u loose?
I am going to be hosnest, the only reason why i am doing it ..its because i need to lose some weight, i was 162lbs and i did the soup diet,
Now i am 154lbs and i would like to lose 20lbs
thanks
October 21st, 2008 at 3:02 pm
Hello Everyone,
Day 4 of master cleanse. I am adjusting well. The lemonade drink is not that bad. I do have a problem with the salt water flush. I have reduced my intake to 16 oz instead of 32 oz. it’s that or eliminate salt water all together. I have been following diet by the instructions. As of today I have lost 5 lbs. There as been times when I felt a little light headed but, once I took a sip of the lemonade I was fine. Even though it has only been 4 days since I started the diet I feel lighter and I have more energy. Tomorrow I will go to the gym to workout. My normal routine when I workout is to take an intense cycling class because I am on the lemonade diet I do not want to over do it. I will just do light a light exercise.
Later in the week I will keep you posted with my progress.
Keep the spirit,
Jin,
October 21st, 2008 at 3:46 pm
My husband and I started this morning together. We are not looking to lose weight, just detoxify.
It’s really strange…not eating, but the lemonaide does fill you up.
We had no problems with the salt water, but I hate the cayenne peper.
Here’s what I do to get it over with: I take the measured amount of cayenne pepper and make a shot with a small amount of water, then down the hatch; with a lemon and syrup chaser. I actually enjoy the lemon/syrup, but the pepper ruins it and drags the intake out for a whole glass of water.
I hope this tip helps someone.
October 21st, 2008 at 4:55 pm
Hello Wonderful People!!
Day 7 and I’m feeling great.!!!! I’m so excited I made it through the week. It’s kinda getting harder but not really. The only thing is that you would be surprised by is how much food is around you. I didn’t have extreme cravings for food until yesterday. I counted 22 food commercials from 7p-9p yesterday. Did you know Domino’s makes sandwiches now!!! Burger King has “Snack Wraps” like McDonalds, and KFC has a new “Value Menu”, and Church’s Chicken now serves nuggets. I’m telling you I see why We have such an Obesity Epidemic. I think of that then don’t wanna eat. For those having cravings you just have to settle in your mind this: “OK I would love to have _____ with some ______ and ______ on top of _____ right now… but the happiness that I’ll get from that meal will last how long? 20 mins. maybe 30? but the satisfaction and happiness I get from losing ___ amount of pounds not eating that is wayyyyyy more satisfying for lifetimes more than 20 mins.” By the time I think of that the hunger cravings go away and I break out a cup of my lemonade with confidence of knowing that I’m doing the right thing.
I SWEAR not eating much makes you go all Gandhi when there’s nothing else to do LOL
October 21st, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Gandhi for sure!
good luck all.
it’s my 2nd and a half day off the fast, i didn’t come off properly. i’ve done the cleanse once before , both times i find that the worst part is acclimating back to solids in a slow comfortable manner and the concerns during the duration up until the first real bowel movement. it’s a mysterious process getting back to regular craps.
bless and all
stay safe,
namaste,
joe
October 21st, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Hi, Just want to say how much I enjoy all the comments and encouragement
Great to find a site that has up to date postings Am on day 4 and enjoying (even craving) the taste of the lemon drink Must confess have cheated with “tastes” of savoury foods in the evenings at times, but have still lost about 5 lbs and gone down one jeans size
Btw for anyone struggling with cost or sweetness (if diabetic) of maple syrup Burroughs says you can use same amount Black Strap Molasses Is a totally different taste but as I don’t like too much sweetness it works fine for me
Book also says you can use same dose Epsom salts for salt flush Milder and takes longer to work but ok taken with regular cups of senna tea Lot cheaper too and tastes like strong mineral water; you can add lemon or herb tea
Look 4wd to more entries Happy cleansing and great to have other people’s experiences
October 21st, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Hi Jasmine, Just saw your post re what to do to get started Have you found out yet?
Most important thing seems to be to start off is to do the herbal laxative tea the night before and the salt (or epsom salt) flush next morning then follow with the lemon drink and water during the day Apparently if you really cant take iether salt water flushes you can just do the herbal tea morning and night
Good luck
October 22nd, 2008 at 4:40 am
Hi,
Its really cool to read everyone’s responses about this diet. I wanna do it to lose some weight for my wedding in December. I went to the supermarket but couldnt find anything apart from lemons there. So I was wondering where to get the maple syrup and the herbal laxative tea from? Thanks..
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:24 am
Im done !!!!!!
I just had my first OJ and let me tell you, i am not a fan of OJ but OMG this one tasted like heaven hehe. As I mentioned before if it werent for a something something that i have to do on Sunday I would easly have gone longer. I feel great, re: weight, I still don’t know how much I weigh or how much i lost, but i can clearly see my body changed. Pant size i think i am still the same, but my upper body did change and my face !! Good luck to all that are either starting or at the middle, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!! If I could, believe me, anyone can.
QUESTION: To either calorielab or whomever may know, how soon can I do it again? Is there a specific time limit that you have to wait till you attempt it again? Please I need an answer. Thanks all for all the great support. You all are the bestest !
October 22nd, 2008 at 6:49 am
Hi Everyone, Oh My God i cant belive i am on 3 day.. i am very proud of me :)
Good Luck to everyone
oh i think so far i’ve lost 4lbs
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
TO LUISA:
I started out weighin about 152, and by the time I was done with the cleanse (which I did for 11 days, then weened myself off for 2 days of solely orange juice and veggie broth) I weighed 138.6lbs.
Since I’ve finished, I’ve been eating really healthy (with the exceptions of a few m&m’s) and I’m trying to eat naturally (chicken, fish, veggies, nuts, grains, that’s about it!) and since I started eating “real” food again, I’ve only gained about 2-3 lbs back… not too bad…
I plan to do this again in January to lose about 10 more lbs.
:)
October 22nd, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I’m going to have a rather large calorie deficit with this master cleanse. Anyone done this cleanse and continued to participate in athletic endeavours? What level of activity can you carry out while being on the master cleanse program.
Thnx,
Etsampso
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Hi Etsampso, Rick is out in the garage playing guitar with his friend, he went shopping at Lowes, the worked out (with weights) after that. Yesterday, he worked out in the yard all day. It’s not that bad really. I am a little un-motivated today, but other than that, these lemonaid drinks really fill you up.
Just look at life as one lemonaid to the next. Avoid looking at any food, or being around it. Rick and I are home this week, so it’s been easier to avoid smells and sights out there . So temptation advice I haven’t got. I cleaned out the fridge completely. Once you start the diet, there is a point on no return where even if you crave food, and want to give up the fast to eat, you still have to wait a few days before you can eat. Eating earllier can make you sick and you risk death; I find that a good deterrent from cheating on this diet.
Drink plenty of water
October 22nd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
Day 2 is what I didn’t mention:)
October 22nd, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Hi Everybody ,
This is my third time doing the cleanse . Personally it works for me . It’s not for everyone though, it takes extreme will power , but the results are worth it . The first time I completted the 10 day fast and then an additional 3 days breaking the fast with the orange juice . Then transitioned back to my normal eating on day 4 with healthier eating habits. I lost 20 lbs and have not gained it back, it’s been over a year now . Also the greatest benefit of all was that I quit smoking !!!!
good Luck to everyone
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:50 am
I would also like to hear from anyone who has worked out on this diet. I love lifting weights and doing 45 minutes of cardio a day. I plan on starting the cleasne on Saturday,and need to know if I should stop my workout program or can I continue?
October 23rd, 2008 at 8:01 am
Thanks Wendy!
On day 4 :) feel good
October 23rd, 2008 at 9:44 am
thanks possum :)
i bought my ingredients yesterday at heb… they didnt have the herbal laxative tea so i got a detoxifying herbal tea.. will that work or do i need to find the laxative one??. .
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Hey everyone,
Day 11 today… so weird to think that. I ran out of Grade B Maple syrup so I had to order from Amazon. In the meantime I’m using Agave nectar which works well. Although it’s kind of hard to get used to the taste after all that maple syrup… I still plan on doing 20 days- although now that I’m on day 11 it’s kind of daunting. Especially because I woke up this morning with a sore throat and the sniffles. Not cool. I know it’s supposed to be the toxins leaving my body but I feel like absolute poo and it’s not easy being on this cleanse while sick. I really hope this goes away soon because otherwise the rest of the cleanse is going to be just awful. Not to mention really hard to complete. I would say that today has definitely been one of my most difficult days in terms of just wanting to call it quits. But I know that I will be really disappointed in myself if I don’t make it to Day 15 at the very least.
I still haven’t weighed myself and I no longer plan to until I’m absolutely done. I think that’s just best for me. One less thing to worry about.
Hey Jasmine! I think you should probably try to find the laxative tea just in case. Traditional Medicines has a great Senna tea and you can probably find if you just search Amazon for Senna tea. Good luck!
All of you are an inspiration!
October 23rd, 2008 at 12:30 pm
TO STARLA!
keep working out… just drink plenty of extra plain water while doing so… you’ll have the energy from this cleanse to WANT to work out…
I felt a bit sluggish during the last half of it, but I pushed myself to work out…
TO JASMINE!
you’ll really need the laxative tea… if taken at night, it breaks up any gunk in you, and the saltwater in the a.m. “flushes” it all out.
October 23rd, 2008 at 4:58 pm
Day 1..I’m actually sipping my salt water although i’m not having any trouble drinking it. So I’m thinking perhaps I don’t have enough salt in my water. Can anyone please suggest how much salt to put in? My water actually feels quite salty. I wonder why I’m not struggling..
October 23rd, 2008 at 5:59 pm
Wendy,
Thanks for the advice! i am drinking my herbal laxative tea and am trying to gear up for my first big day tomorrow! I am hoping i can keepign working out and will follow your advice and still go to the gym! My husband is doing this cleanse too, so i made a big batch for him to take with him to work! squeezing all those lemons is a pain, but it only took a total of 5 minutes so i am sure i will get used to it!well , i plan on checking here to this site whenver i get hungry, intimitaded , or feel i cant go on! i really want to commit to this and be successful- i want to stay on it for 14 days, but i will be happy with 10 too! one day at a time!
October 23rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
Hi Jasmine,
Again I’m no expert, but from what I’ve read, it is important to get laxative tea to get the best results (as in thorough clean out) If you cant get lax he says a liquorice tea and a sarsparala will be of some benefit but you really need the senna.
Catch you
October 24th, 2008 at 10:46 am
TO SAMMY:
for every quart of water (32fl.oz) you’re to add 2 teaspoons…
when I did it, I only drank half of the water, and half of the salt… and it did it’s job…
don’t “sip” it… “down” it…. the quicker you drink it, the quicker it “flushes” you out… (usually within 45-60 mins)
October 24th, 2008 at 10:49 am
I’ve been eating regular food now for over a week and I”m actually losing weight because I’m keeping up my healthy eating and exercising…
this cleanse really gave me a wonderful headstart to a positive and successful weight loss. I hope all of you have the same success as I did…
October 24th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
thanks everyone for the suggestions.. unfortunately i live in a small town that doesnt have much of herbal anything so i cant get the laxative tea until later this weekend… so hopefully the detox tea will help in some way.. i plan on starting tomorrow morning.. i’m scared.. wish me luck!
October 24th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
Hi Jasmine,
Good luck! Way I look at it is even if things don’t work out exactly this time, you can always use it as a trial run and start again when you’ve got everything you need. The detox tea must help/prepare your body in the short term, even if it just gets you to drink more healthy drinks rather than soda and coffee.
October 25th, 2008 at 6:42 am
I’m on Day 5 of the cleanse! In the afternoon of my first day, I got a terrible headache, chills, and then vomiting… all symptoms of withdrawal, probably from caffiene. I went to bed very early and felt much better on Day 2…. no issues since! And I’m in my kitchen hours a day preparing food for my 2 preschoolers and husband, cooking, cleaning, etc. yet not a crumb has gone in my mouth, because that will cause cravings.
I didn’t do the salt water the first 2 days, because I didn’t know exactly how. Then a friend told me, it’s 1 tsp (not 2 as I read above). The 1 tsp. in a whole quart is not all that salty. It’s like chicken soup without the chicken. It does the job without needing diapers. And I don’t use witch hazel wipes. As for stocking up on extra toilet paper - not really - unless you’re the type who tends to run low as a bad habit (I guess I try to stay stocked up so I don’t have to go to the store just for TP.)
Depending on your job, you may be able to start this on a weekend, and go to work on Day 3. I don’t see any harm in taking the salt cleanse in the evening after work. I had a friend who didn’t do it until her 8th and 9th days only. And if you can’t stand the cayenne pepper, just use less of it, as your brand probably has a very high heat level. Hope this helps! I’ve lost 7 lbs and just want to live healthier/more natural.
October 25th, 2008 at 7:43 am
i’m currently in malaysia…and i really look forward to the master cleanser…the only problem is that maple syrup is not available in malaysia…i’d like to know what other product can i use in place of the maple syrup???
October 25th, 2008 at 8:55 am
thansk possum!.. i already had my trial run last year so i HAVE to do it this time.. i think i’m ready :).. i hope i am..
i started the cleansing today :) so far everything is going as expected.. i drank the salt water flush which was kinda hard, i had a 1/2 cup left that i didnt drink but it did its job with what i drank.. it made me a little upset to my stomach to where i havent been hungry at all which is great cause i’m not even the least bit tempted to eat anything! i have yet to start drinking the lemonade (i left my recipe at work so here i am about to start mixing).. i’m sure i’ll be back to post more later this afternoon..
happy cleansing everyone!
October 25th, 2008 at 11:44 am
you’re in the clear when you’re passing solids out the rear
October 25th, 2008 at 11:48 am
I agree with that person, it’s my 5 day off and i just passed a foot long….
wooo weeeee, I felt so relieved and lighter, I was scared of how bloated I was ’till I had my brown baby.
laughing’s always the best medicine!
Namaste,
Joe
October 25th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
Hi everyone!
Day thirteen of my twenty day cleanse. I’ll be done next Saturday and I cannot wait. This last leg has been much harder then the first. Which is kind of contrary to what Stanley Rice Burroughs and even Peter Glickman say so I’m not sure what to think. On the plus side, my cold is slowly going away- which is making things a lot easier.
It might have been a bad idea to start this cleanse at time that would encompass Halloween. Saying no to all that candy and pumpkin pie is going to be killer.
-Anneliese
October 25th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
I’ve never tried anything like this before. Tonight, after going out with my wife and friends I’m coming home and drinking my first cup of tea. I’m 56 and there is a lifetime of great meals and good times to be flushed out.
October 25th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
what if u dont drink the recommended amount of lemonade?
October 25th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Jasmine:
It’s not the worst thing in the world. But remember that you don’t want to give yourself a reason to quit- and you might if you get too hungry or feel too weak- which could happen if you’re not drinking enough. I would recommend trying to get at least six glasses of lemonade in as often as you can. Anything that gives you the strength to keep going.
I’m feeling kind of short on that strength thing tonight myself. My roommate just baked up a storm: pumpkin pie and brown sugar cookies and my mouth is watering just thinking about it. I also went to the grocery story today to pick up more lemons and it was soooo hard to be there around all that delicious looking and smelling food when I know I can’t have any yet… I keep telling myself that the goal is twenty days and that at the very least I can’t quit until I reach fifteen… But it is sooo hard sometimes. I almost quit like ten times today. The only thing that stopped me was remembering that I had to do two days of juice before I could eat solid foods again either way.
Does anyone know if it has to be orange juice that we drink after we’re done with the fast? Can it be any fresh organic fruit juice? I’m just not the biggest orange juice fan in the world…
Good luck everyone!
October 26th, 2008 at 11:26 am
Yo Dancing Bear. It is 2 tsps of salt per quart. I know it’s not the best tasting but it is the right way to do it. I’m on my first day and I’m keeping very busy so I won’t think of eating something.
October 26th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Ok so I’ve actually read every single comment on this site and since I grew up in the Caribbean getting regular castor oil cleanse i’m more than appreciative of all the positive comments. I’ll be trying this from Nov 4th, I’m going for a four day vacation this weekend no way I’m starting before then (just for the detox I’m not overweight i do have ridiculous gas and bloating no matter what I eat) and I’m actually planning to get my husband to do it also (he needs to lose about 40-50lbs). For those who asked about working out thank you I was wondering as a trainer I think it would depend on your level of fitness, I intend to only do cardio for the ten days of the detox. I’ll keep everyone posted as to our progress. Thanks
October 26th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Hello All:
I will beginning the ease in process tomorrow…and then I will drink my
tea before bed tomorrow night and start the Master Cleanse Tuesday morning. I am so excited and nervous at the same time. The thing that worries me the most is: is it safe? I do not want to go to such extremes if it is harming my body. My biggest thing is getting healthy and losing weight. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and I really can’t stand the thought of putting these harsh chemicals in my body to help it. I really hope that this can be something that eases the pain without having to take my medication. It is not life threatening for me in ANY way to stop my medication for RA…worse comes to worse I go back on it! I am also writing a persuasive essay paper for college on Detox Diets and their effectiveness…I am using the argument that I have heard time and time again during my research of this topic~and that is: we do not need to detoxify our bodies because our bodies do that themselves. The problem is that our bodies were made to detoxify themselves BUT…a normal healthy body can detoxify itself…we have made our bodies unable to do so by all the processed garbage we consume on a day to day basis! So that is my essay topic-and that is why I want to detox myself in order to contribute my experience to my essay making it a more effective argument in the end. I wish the best of luck to everyone on the master cleanse…and I will be back to post on Tuesday when I begin the cleanse to keep you updated on my progress. I know reading the daily progress on here of others has encouraged me to give it a go…and I would like to be able to do the same for someone else.
So Good Luck to all…and I will be back!
Rebecca
P.S.
If anyone has some good information for me to contribute to my persuasive essay, you can reach me at:
rebeccacalvo2@school.kaplan.edu
October 27th, 2008 at 6:56 am
Good morning all. I started my cleanse last night with the tea. Not too much of a problem. I drank most of my quart of salt water this morning- that is really mind over matter- I had to convince myself it’s chicken broth haha. The lemonade is very tasty so that won’t be a problem Thank goodness I’m a stay at home mom and can “go” at any time :) Will keep y’all updated- I plan on 10 days and then the OJ. I’d also like to start following a veg. diet after this or at least off of dairy and white stuff.
Kat
October 27th, 2008 at 8:22 am
ok so i failed.. but its ok cause i dont feel like i started the cleanse right anyway.. the only thing that turned out alright was the salt water flush.. i dont have the lax tea and i cant go out of town to get it because of my work schedule this week so i’m just gonna stick to the detox tea.. as for the lemonade, the first batch i made came out way too spicy, burned my throat with every drink so i diluted it.. then it kinda seemed like i wasnt really getting the whole effect of the drink.. THEN my dad came to my work outta the blue to bring me some food :| i hate wasting my dad’s money and he kinda sat and stared at me till i ate.. so i ate.. but i’m gonna start again tomorrow morning.. i figure saturday was a real trial run with the salt water flush and what not.. it really wasnt as hard as i was expecting so i’m not too worried about it.. i WILL complete this cleanse :)
oh and i was wondering if getting sick in the middle of the cleanse is common? i’ve read a few comments talking about a few miserable sick days happening mid cleanse..
October 27th, 2008 at 10:59 am
If you go on http://www.youtube.com and put “master cleanse” in the search…you will see many people who have documented their day to day experiences with the master cleanse. I really think if you are considering this or are on it…this could give you some motivation…I know it motivated me.
Good luck to all!
Rebecca
October 27th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I am very motivated about the cleanse and weight loss, and not too worried about the saltwater… but, do I really need to quit smoking? Not that it wouldn’t be best for me, but, what if I can’t quit. If I fail and have a few cigarettes, what’s the worst that is going to happen? And no coffee, really?
October 27th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
OMG!!!!!
I cannot believe im on day 14 (TWO Whole Weeks!!!!) on the cleanse. I am so proud of myself. I really thought I would stop at 10. Here’s a little motivation for those starting or wanting to continue……… Have In your mind how much better you’ll feel. I haven’t got weak nor dizzy. I notice my allergies coming out and I was so tempted to take my Zyrtec but I knew I couldn’t. My face is starting to clear so thats good. It’s crazy cuz I listen to people talk about how when they did it they lasted only 3-5 days or so so I feel real proud. Im with you Anneliese I thought to myself the same thing I am going backwards??? This past week has been hell not being able to eat. But I noticed it’s just my mind cuz I don’t feel any hunger pains. It just starts when I smell things and it’s crazy cuz you even start to crave things you don’t like. (my bro was eating a whole bag of hot cheetos and I was like ahh maybe one, but couldn’t do it.) The only negative thing with not having an appetite is that I notice im drinking less of the drink and alot of water for thirst. The suprising thing is that my pee is not at all clear! With all the water I’m drinking you would think but the cayenne pepper really brings out everything out of your system. I don’t BM anymore I guess I’m cleaned out but b4 the cleanse I was on soup and salad and no meats for 5 mos so there wasn’t much buildup. Im look for to ending the cleanse but my only fear is jumping back to solids because i have such anxiety about throwing up, thats why I couldn’t cheat but I’ll follow the Ease-Out guidelines strictly and I think it will be fine. If find your self bored from not eating on the cleanse and want to do something, I decide to make myself balanced meal plans so when I get off I want be rushing to eat something bad. I can have what I like to eat already set up for me so I won’t have the chance to get off track. I am committed to no eating out!!
Feel Great, Live Life.
October 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
Almost Forgot!!! I weigh myself every-week so this week’s weight-drumroll please!!!
256.4. If you remember my other blogs my starting weight was 276! A total of 20lbs. in 12 days, Can you believe it? Im hoping to lose 20 more by day 25.
Good Luck to everyone else !
October 27th, 2008 at 6:26 pm
wow I really do want to try this Master Cleanse, but I have some concerns…
–> does going to the bathroom take up most of the day?
–>is there a min age requirement to try this?
–> what do the comments about this man being a nutjob mean and why are people afraid of this??
um..I have had irregular bowel movements for about 13 years…on and off on and off. I actually feel very motivated whenever I get rid of ALOT of my inside waste since that doesn’t seem to happen often…
Please answer my questions please! I really do wish to try this!
Thanks so much
=)
October 28th, 2008 at 6:42 am
Yuffie,
I’m starting Nov 1st for my 1st cleanse with a goal of 14 days, but will go longer if I’m doing good. I have seen people go as long as 40 days with good results and felt good with no ill side affects.
I’ve heard you need to block out around the 1st 2 hrs of your day for bowel movements after doing the salt water flush as soon as you get up.
As far as a minimum age, not sure. I would say you probably need to at least be 16 or 18 to do it. Probably 18, because your body is still growing at 16 and needs all the nutrients it can get, but don’t take this as gospel, just a guess.
Many people call him a nut job because he is all hollistic healing. Most medical Dr’s do not condone this, due partially, they aren’t making any money off of it. I love my Dr, but I will not discuss this with him until after I do it. If all goes well, I will talk to him about it. My Dr keeps an open mind, but I know he would tell me not to do it at first. Many people say they were actually introduce to the program by a hollistic Dr, so it all depends upon perspective.
I have seen here that people have varried some things, everything I have read says not to do that. Especially by not using the right measurements for the salt water. Burroughs whole thought is, the salt water is the same consistency of you blood, or something along those lines, when used in the 2tsp to a quart, this way your body doesn’t absorb it and it goes right through your system to clean you out. Make sure you are hydrated though also, or your body will try to absorb it anway. Drink plenty of water in addition to the lemonade.
I sound like I’ve done this before don’t I? I have done a lot of research before picking my start date (for about a year now). I’m starting on a Sat, and taking Mon - Wed off work to see how I react. I have a high caffeine intake, and I’m guessing I’m gonna feel like crap for at least 3 days.
We’ll see what happens.
October 28th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Fedup,
I’ve heard your weightloss tends to level out after 14 days, not sure if it’s true for everyone, but I just wanted to prepare you just in case.
October 28th, 2008 at 8:18 am
omg! i’ve been adding 2 TBS to my water not TSP!.. ugh i feel so dumb..
well i’m not sure what the extra salt will do to me, hopefully nothing.. but anyway.. i started this morning for my second time.. i drank some extreme salt water this morning lol but it wasnt too bad.. maybe now with the correct measurements the salt water wont be as hard as it has been.. and my lemonade came out pretty good too so i’m excited about that.. i’m ready to feel the cleansing taking effect..
happy cleansing to all! and good luck to those who are about to start :)
October 28th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Symara~
I started today. I am amazed at the will power it takes to just keep your mind focused on the positive rather then all the good smelling food you have to make for everyone else.
I can’t take time off, i watch children from multiple families in my home…so I have to be here for them, I wish I could take as few days off to get a good start on it. I, like you, have a high caffeine intake…and I think I am going to be feeling the effects of that by either tonight or by tomorrow!
I will let you know how that goes for me, since you will be starting a little later then I am. This page really helps keep me motivated since I document to other people who will be starting, are on, or have already done the cleanse…I feel I do not want to embarrass myself…I want to have a good encouraging story to report! I did the SWF…ugh that was awful to taste…but bearable…It worked, and it wasn’t extreme…like I have read in other places.
The lemonade was also too spicy..but I will drink it, and try again to make a better batch tomorrow.
Rebecca
October 28th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Rebecca,
The good thing is, you are at home doing it, even if you are working. So you will be close to the restroom at least. The restroom is not to far from me at work, i just want to be sure how long the saltwater flush takes and such before going back.
If you are making a large amount of lemonade in advance, don’t put the cayenne in it. Put the 1/10 of a tsp in the glass when you pour it. I heard the longer it is in the lemonade the hotter it gets.
Also I’ve learned a few ways to do the flush. the normal way of course or:
suck on a lemon right before you gulp it down, or add lemon juice to it.
put the 2 tsp in 1 cup, gulp down, chase quickly with the other 3 cups of water.
someone else said something about brushing your teeth and mouthwash and the taste will over power the saltiness some.
October 28th, 2008 at 10:37 am
I’m on the cleanse now. I find myself seated directly between the devout and the heathens. But I’m doing it for the weight loss and the colon cleansing benefits.
I certainly don’t dispute its effectiveness as a diet method. It’s a calorie-deficient diet. You eat less calories than you normally would, even without exercise, and you’re probably going to lose weight. Simple.
And I also believe it’s ability to clean out the plumbing… I’ve seen some things in the toilet that I have never seen before or could have imagined were inside me since I started the diet.
Where I become more skeptical is where the cleanse is considered a detox. I don’t believe for an instant that someone can consume cheeseburgers, fries and Cokes at McDonald’s 90% of the time (while smoking cigarettes), and then believe they can make it all better with the Master Cleanse. It’s like being a Catholic and going to the confessional to be purged of all your sins, and then going out and carousing before the next confession. Quick-fix anyone?
To be sure, there are plenty of toxins out there, and some are inside us as well. You can’t live in an industrialized society where so much artificial processing of what we surround ourselves with and directly consume without absorbing some nasty garbage in the process. But the problem is, a lot of this junk is fat soluble and is not so easy to purge from the body. And if it can be purged, the cleanse isn’t going to do it, our natural body’s processes is going to be better at it. Do we think we can outsmart millions of years of biological evolution? The kidneys and liver are VERY good at what they do.
If you really want to clear the toxins out of your body, eat well. And this is preventative medicine as well because it’ll help prevent toxins from entering your body in the first place. Eat fresh foods, avoid ALL fast food and industrially produced junk/sugar foods, eat very little meat (or better yet, NO meat) and your body will take care of the rest.
October 28th, 2008 at 10:45 am
Eric,
I completely agree with you to a point. I believe it also depends upon how long you do the cleanse and how often. There are many people that incorporate a lengthy cleanse into their lifestyle at least once a year, and do other cleanses, such as liver and kidney cleanses also. I know personally, I eat a lot of processed foods, not just fast foods. If you think about it, the amound of junk we put in our bodies has developed alot faster than probably what our bodies have evolved to take care of.
Of course, this is my personal opinion, i have no medical facts to back this up. I do think it would take a few cleanses to clean your system, there is no quick fix, but I think the first one of course is a start.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Ok, this will be the 3rd time I try this cleanse in two months. It’s amazing to find out how dependent or addicted a person can be to food. The longest I hung in there was a week and felt GREAT. Now that I have “tested the waters” I think I will begin again on November 1st. This allows me three days to prepare for it and maybe have at least one last good favorite meal before I commit.
thanks for the tip on: put the 2 tsp in 1 cup, gulp down, chase quickly with the other 3 cups of water.
… I will try this instead of squeezing a lemon into the 32 oz of the flush.
October 28th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
Symara,
Of course, not eating fast food or junk food doesn’t prevent us from breathing in toxins or absorbing them through our skin, and so it’s just a start. And other than stopping smoking and moving to the top of a mountain, I’m not sure what else we can do that way. I just firmly believe that a consistently healthy diet is more beneficial overall than eating junk and fast food and doing the Master Cleanse here and there.
And I certainly belong to The Church of Empirical Evidence, and in the case of the Master Cleanse, the evidence is found on the scale or in the toilet. Otherwise, I’m a skeptic. And you’re certainly correct in that the human body hasn’t had ample time to adjust to the never-found-in-nature toxins found in modern industrial society, but I have a hard time believing that a bit of maple syrup, lemon juice and cayenne is the advanced solution that will make up for what evolution has failed to do. But like I said, I’m a born skeptic in all things. It’s my nature. And it’s not that anecdotal evidence is without value. If someone does the cleanse and they feel better and healthier for doing it, then that is their personal experience and the cleanse obviously has value for them. But just because you feel healthier doesn’t mean that the Maste r Cleanse lemonade somehow magically purges toxins from the system any more than say, eating very well and drinking lots of clean water. If there is something to the Cleanse it could be for a number of reasons other than “detoxing.” Who knows, maybe the reason the person feels better after the cleanse is because none of us get enough real pure maple syrup in our diets… maybe there’s something found in that that isn’t found anywhere else? Who knows? And the power of the placebo effect is not to be discounted either. It’s also possible that I could take the same person, give them my own Master Cleanse lemonade made with lemonade kool-aid, Mrs. Buttersworth and Taco Bell sauce, and they may very well claim to feel healthier at the end of that regimen as well. Psychology is a powerful and elusive thing.
Anyways, the best of luck with your use of the Master Cleanse regardless of your purpose.
Cheers!
October 28th, 2008 at 7:00 pm
so i’m almost done for the first night of the cleanse :).. i feel accomplished.. it was kinda hard watching my son eat right in front of me without being able to eat with him.. iluckily i have some support on the side to help me out.. i refrained from eating my favorite supper ever!..
so i’m ready for day two and even more ready for my 2TSP of salt rather than 2TBS of salt!
goodnight all!
October 28th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
So I have made a decision to start my ease-out program Today marks the 15th day thats pretty good. My goal was 25 then 20 but I realize that the ease-out program will last about 5 days so I’ll still be at my goal. I am proud of myself for going this far on my first try. 25 lbs lighter and I feel great. Im really looking forward to the vegetable soup(anything with flavor) :) Im hoping my craving to eat will come back and my stomach will be ok. Good Luck to those keep going!
October 29th, 2008 at 5:47 am
Eric,
I just wanted to say, it was nice to have a debate about a subject without it evolving into name calling and telling people they are stupid. That’s been such a rarity it seems lately. Especially when it comes to hollistic medecine and politics :)
The theory as far as the Master Cleanse I keep reading is as follows:
14 days - time it takes for your system to detox (so a 10 day cleanse is not doing all the detoxing)
Anything after 14 days your body is supposed to start on healing itself. You are not using energy to digest food or anything, so your body is supposed to be using that extra energey to heal on a cellular level. At this point, old injuries can start hurting from the healing process.
The syrup and lemons are just for nutrients and energy, the water, cayenn eand flushes are what is helping to clean your system out. your body does the healing on it’s own.
Again, this is just the theories I have read. As far as feeling the healing and such, I won’t experience any of that until starting Sat, and even then, my goal is to go 14 days, longer if I feel good, so I may or may not experience any of the “self healing”.
October 29th, 2008 at 7:26 am
I completed my 10th day of the Master Cleanse diet 10/27/2008. I can say that, I feel very good. I feel a lot lighter and I have more energy. The past 10 days have been a challenge. The lemonade was not bad but, the salt flush was awful. I did not take the salt water for a couple days. I have lost inches and overall I lost 10 pounds. I have notice that I do have more energy when I go to the health club. My goal is to lose 20 lbs more, gradually. I am looking forward to a new beginning.
I wish everyone on the master cleanse diet the best,
Jin,
October 29th, 2008 at 9:44 am
I did the Master Cleanse more than a year ago (before Beyounce announced she did it). I went for 15 days and my experience wasn’t bad at all.
About the 3rd day I felt really hungry and had a nagging headache but by day 5, I was totally fine. The only change I made was to drink the Smooth Moves Tea in the morning prior to work and I did the salt water flush in the evening when I got home. While I went to the loo quite often, I never had the “I might not make it feeling”. I did end up purchasing wipes while on my cleanse cause the disposal was a little slick (if you know what I mean).
I lost 24.5 lbs while on the cleans and managed to keep it off for nearly a year with proper portions, healthier choices & exercise (mainly cardio on the elliptical). For the past 4 months, I’ve had to trave for work (4hrs per day) and the exercise fell all the way off and my eating hasn’t been the best so tonight, I will start anew. This time I am shooting for those 6 days I fell short the first time (21 in all).
Wish me luck!
October 29th, 2008 at 10:29 am
I wish you luckAntoinette.
I do have a question, how did switching the tea and salt water flush work compared to the normal way?
A lot of people are saying you should do the salt water flush in the morning when you have no liquid in you syste (lemonade) so it goes straight through.
Just wondering what your experience was.
October 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
I am thinking on doing it again, I completed 10 days like 8 days ago and plan on doing it again on the 1rst of November, for how long? i don’t know but hopefully minimun 15 days. I am also very interested in how the exchange between the tea and the salt water influenced luckAntoinette or anyone else that may have done it that way.
Great going all of you that are in the process right now :)
October 29th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Symara,
I have my opinions, and I feel I’m fairly intelligent and reflective… but I always realize that my opinion doesn’t have to match anyone else’s and vice-versa.
Tact… yes, it’s in short demand these days. I try to be nice and respect other people’s views and ideas though I may totally disagree. But I also don’t think it’s necessary to pretend to agree with someone when you don’t. It’s not about the content, it’s about the delivery, eh?
As far as holistic and traditional medicine, I have a problem with anyone who forsakes one completely for the other. My mother has a good friend who’s developed breast cancer. A very nice and kind woman. However, when she found out she had cancer, she didn’t use any traditional/conventional means to treat it. She relied completely upon holistic means to treat her condition. It got so bad that one tumor actually broke through her skin! And now it’s spread to the marrow in her ribs. It’s so sad. I mean, if she wanted to pursue holistic treatments, good for her, maybe she’d find something that would really help… but when it comes to something like CANCER… f*ck! Do both!
And now she’s probably going to die because of it.
Anyways, both types of medicine have merit in my opinion, and they could certainly be used in conjunction with each other as well.
I for one, would like to see more scientific testing done on holistic medicine so that it might gain more acceptance among conventional doctors and the public.
October 29th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Hello! I am a college student and I went from being very thin (about 130 pounds) in high school and over the last 4 years I had ballooned upto 195 pounds!!!!! I joined Weight Watchers in March and had lost a total of almost 30 pounds. I am currently at about 170 pounds. My overall goal is to fit back into my size 7 jeans. I am a curvy girl and do not want to be back down to 130 but around 150 would be nice.
I want to do this cleanse to detoxify my body. I drink a lot of coffee and diet coke. Frozen lean cusines (sodium, preservatives, etc) make up a decent amount of meals. I also would like a jump start on more weight loss cause I am becoming very discouraged at this stall. I’ve been stuck at 170 for a couple months.
I will be seeing family at Thanksgiving and would like to be at 150 by then. I wanted to start the cleanse Nov. 1st. I was wondering if someone could let me know how much or how fast I will gain the weight back? If I can still work out and if 20 pounds is an unreasonable amount to expect to lose in 14-20 days. Any help is appreciated!!! Thanks!
October 29th, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Hi Everyone!
I am so excited to start the cleanse. I have been reading a lot about it and have been preparing myself for the official start date–November 1st! (I figured if the first few days are hard, I would rather be at home rather than work :) )
One of the questions I have (as I am sure I will have more along the way) is about brushing my teeth. I read that you shouldn’t use tooth paste–just wanted to see what everyone else was doing… whether you use tooth paste or an alternative.
October 29th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
hey guys! read alot of your stuff and everyone talks about this whole dying to chew sumthing ordeal…wat about gum..is the stuff that makes up gum bad for you on this diet/ cleanse? if i can have gum..im totally down then! im a smoker and no food, booze or ciggies will def send me into frantic shock..gum could save my life. curious…
October 29th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
I chewed gum today… but then again, I’m doing it for the weight loss and the colon cleansing, not for the detox. So if I chew some gum, get a little sugar and artificial flavoring and a bit of red dye #2 in my gut, I don’t care. If you believe in the detox element, then you probably shouldn’t chew gum.
October 29th, 2008 at 11:32 pm
day 3. Increased energy. I start to tremble and complain about low blood sugar if I don’t eat very often, I have not felt shaky once. I have to say that although I would be dissapointed if the scale did not move, I can’t say that I would regret doing any of this. I was starting to wonder “what the hell in wrong with me??’ Everyday I was feeling more and more tired, unmotivated and lazy. I did not feel well enough for the gym & my eating was out of control. I was becomming addicted to everything salty or full of sugar. I feel like those cravings are gone and big surprise- I have been cooking up a storm! All healthy, yummy food. My husband thinks I cook good but he said the last few days have been some of the best dishes. How weird? Glad to see so many other people finding success on this. PS I have been taking Hoodia in the liquid form (Sunflowers Market) and it has killed my huge appetite. I would say a must, why suffer? Go Vegas!! We have to look good, it’s too damn hot here to hide under baggy clothes!
October 29th, 2008 at 11:39 pm
If so many people lose weight and feel good doing it, why would anybody down it? Being overweight is a huge problem. It effects so much, health and our self-esteem. Everyone knows health problems are awful but self-esteem problems can lead you down such a dark path. Why not support people trying to make a change for the better? We have enough problems in the world, let’s try to be as kind as we can to one another and lift each other up when we can. Best of health to everyone no matter what their choices are.
October 30th, 2008 at 6:12 am
Day one…I went o make a cup of coffee today before I sent my son off to school and realized I was out of milk, so, no coffee. What better day to start the cleanse? I must admit I am a smoker for about 18 years and have tried numorous times to quit. I also enjoy caffeine. A lot. I love to cook healthy meals for my husband and kids, with a cocktail to follow after the kids are in bed. This routine has me nervous that I won.t be able to stick with the program. I have never been known to have much will power when it comes to quitting these habits. This cleanse interests me for the detox and cleanse aspects, and the weight loss is an awesome motivator. I am not overweight, just would like to jump start back into my old workout habits and fit back into my regular clothes. Everything is slightly too tight right now. 10 lbs off would be great! Reading everyone’s comments helps. Also, has anyone used grade A maple syrup instead of grade B? Is it less expensive?
October 30th, 2008 at 6:55 am
My best friend Stacey and I are starting the cleanse on Monday. We work together in an office, so we will be doing the SWF in the morning when we get to work. We even have a designated “poo-poo potty” in the back conference room away from everyone else! Here’s my question: I am going to make 2-1 liter bottles of Lemonade each morning…so how many lemons will I need for each day? Also, does it matter how much water you consume with the SWF as long as you have 2 teaspoons of salt in it? Thanks!
Rachel and Stacey
October 30th, 2008 at 7:43 am
Rachel,
it must be the 4 cups, it’s supposed to be a certain consistency.
you need 2 tsp of lemon/lime juice for each 10 oz of water, I think I read somewhere that it’s about 1/2 a lemon.
rosie,
I think you aren’t really supposed to use A, I think it has less nutrients or something. You can also use blackstrapp molassis (sp?), that’s what I’m using starting Sat.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:20 am
Sorry Symara, I didn’t get to come back to the post but to answer your question:
The tea was gentle enough but I was constantly going to the bathroom through the night and with the rinse , I couldn’t seem to get out of the door in time in the mornings. After about day 3 or 4 I switched to the tea in the morning and the rinse in the evenings when I got home……Trust me the flush works be it in the morning or evening.
Most think its better to do the salt rinse in the morning because you drank the tea the night before, therefore doing the internal bath the next morning better rinses the remaining “matter”. I think it’s just as good if not better doing the flush in the evening because I cleansed all day while at work and the salt water rushes right thru me practically matter free.
October 30th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Rachel and Satcey: for the SWF I think the best tip I’ve gotten is: put the 2 tsp in 1 cup, gulp down, chase quickly with the other 3 cups of water. this way you chase down the sea salt with the required water to flush the sea salt and mote “gunk” out, make sense??
October 30th, 2008 at 9:23 am
Rachel and Satcey: for the SWF I think the best tip I’ve gotten is: put the 2 tsp in 1 cup, gulp down, chase quickly with the other 3 cups of water. this way you chase down the sea salt with the required water to flush the sea salt and more “gunk” out, make sense??
October 30th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Ready to start the cleanse, that is a great tip, my only question would be how hard will that original cup be to get down?
Know what, I guess I will find out tonight!
October 30th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Thanks for the tips! I made (and drank) a SWF this morning here at work just to see what effect it would have on me. I did it at 8:30am and it’s now 1:50pm and I don’t even have any kind of “urge” to go to the bathroom at all! Usually I can eat a freakin’ CARROT STICK and I will have to run to the bathroom; I had my gallbladder taken out a year ago and everything just “goes right through me”. This SWF this morning has done nothing (yet).
Rachel
October 30th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Antoinette**Good question! Originally I was squeezing a whole lemon in the 32 oz seasalt/water flush, I am going to now squeeze a whole lemon into the 2 tsp of salt water cup and chase it with the remaining plain water it calls for. I like sweet/sour stuff so, I’m betting I will probably like it! :)
Rachel and Stacey, I was never very “regular” so to speak but, beleive me, eventually the salt water flush will do it’s job, like clockwork!! be careful and be READY. :)
October 30th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Correction in above remark, sorry… I like SALTY/SOUR stuff (you knew what I meant, right?) ; )
October 31st, 2008 at 5:54 am
Rachel and Stacy,
It may not work if you have food on you stomach. you were doing it this morning and not doing the cleanse? right
October 31st, 2008 at 9:15 am
i have read this entire website and have found it VERY informative, thanks to all. i am getting ready to start cleanse tomorrow, saturday. i have a question.
1. i do Bikram yoga, hot hatha yoga, 3 times a week, is it safe to continue doing the yoga?
October 31st, 2008 at 10:00 am
OregonVegan, from what I can tell everyone that has been active on this blog prior to the cleanse stayed active through it, should be ok. You may have increased energy while on the cleanse… good luck, I’m getting my supplies tonight, going to begin tomorrow Nov 1st… good luck to us all! :0)
October 31st, 2008 at 12:08 pm
I know a lot of other people are starting the cleanse tomorrow so GOOD LUCK! this will be my first time so I’m a little nervous but excited. This website has been so helpful!
October 31st, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Hey people,
just confirming, could the salt water flush use cold water?? I drink cold water every morning and it does its job so feels like warm water (which is really hard to drink) isnt all that necessary.
November 1st, 2008 at 12:42 pm
thanks, ready to start the cleanse. i started my cleans today, today is day one, and so far so good, tomorrow, i will try to go to yoga, hopefully its a success. good luck to all, i liked reading all the blogs
November 1st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
Hey.. I want to do this… but don’t think I can do it for 10 days (have bday plans next weekend). Will it work if i just do it for 6 or 7 days?
thanks!
November 1st, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Greetings all,
Been reading this for 3 days now. Just started today. I decided to ween myself off of coffee and sugar before I started. Wish I would have started a week ago. I think people are feeling a lot of the withdrawal symptoms in the beginning from going cold turkey. I’ve done the ultra simple diet which is great but is really expensive and hard if you don’t like to prepare food which I don’t.
Anyway, I’ve done well today except for the headache. My husband supports me however, comes home with a sub from Delizone. Thanks babe! I know I can’t expect everyone to stop eating around me. Had a burst of energy earlier today and racked leaves. Weighed myself this morning at 161. I’m 5′2″ and a woman but fairly muscular. I thought this would be a good way to kick start a better way to eat. I won’t lie, I’m doing this mostly to lose weight, then maybe do this twice a year as a cleanse. I find the lemonade mix quite easy to deal with. I plan to do this for 10 days or more.
I will say I skipped the salt water flush because I didn’t have the correct salt. I’ll stop blabbing now. Good luck to everyone that started today!!!!!
November 2nd, 2008 at 8:21 am
Hello Everyone
thanks for writing, your comments have pushed me to start the cleanse!
I do have a question for people out there who have done the cleanse
can you make the lemonade with boiling water? or does that disrupt the molecular structure of the ingredients / kill necessary enzymes?
if anyone knows I would really appreciate some help!
thanks!
November 2nd, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Woke up this morning at 4:30 with a bit of intestinal disruption. I noticed my teeth feeling quite gritty so I decided to brush and was fairly disgusted by the coating on my tongue.
As I write this my husband is eating a hells kitchen sandwich from Delizone. It sure smells good. Damn him! I probably would have been more tempted to eat if I had not had such a drop in weight. 5 pounds! Although I’m sure most of it is water since I have water retention issues due to the red tide. (ladies, you know what I mean.) Went from 161 to 156. This will probably plateau a bit.
I could only choke down a third of the salt concoction this morning. I really don’t think it aids me in my current condition. The next time I might heat it so it’s more like a soup.
I’ve already drank half of the lemonade for today. I read in an earlier posting about someone licking the spoon after measuring out the maple syrup. I mix two lemonades a day just so I can do this.
My husband has finished eating half of his food and has decided to leave it on the table where I can smell it. I had to yell at him to put it away. If he ever decided to do this cleanse, I think I will order Chinese and eat it very slowly while he’s watching hockey.
No headaches today, just more hunger pangs and the intestinal distress ended after I passed what is probably the last of anything solid in my gut.
Good question Tarah posted about heating the lemonade. I’ve done this cleanse before but never heated it. I’d like to know the answer to that one as well.
November 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
I’m starting tomorrow and I’m pretty excited. Thanks to everyone for sharing your questions and experiences…it is really helping me feel motivated. I’ve spent the last few days weaning myself off coffee (I live in the Pacific NW, coffee-drinking is kinda required!), so that I won’t have to deal with caffeine withdrawals at the beginning of the cleanse. My main stumbling block to starting was the senna tea; I’ve used Smooth Move before and it cramped me up a lot…very unpleasant. Hola, thanks for the suggestion to drink just half a cup; I’m a fairly small person so that makes total sense and I’m going to try it tonight. So here goes! (holds nose and jumps in)
November 2nd, 2008 at 7:29 pm
I am starting tomorrow ! thanks for the comments, goal is 21 days, my cousinn did for 30 days, he now runs 13 miles day and feels better than ever.
He lost 40 lbs. Will keep you posted.
November 3rd, 2008 at 9:22 am
Today is day one for Stacey and I. The SWF was not a problem for me; and I used the potty about an hour and a half after drinking it. Stacey has not been so lucky; she hasn’t poo-poo’d yet and is getting discouraged. The lemonaid is disgusting. BLECH! I’m chasing it with water, but it’s still just gross! I think Stacey is going to give up. Anyone have some words of encouragement for her??? Thanks!
November 3rd, 2008 at 1:01 pm
I just started the cleanse today and I am taking cayenne tablets (450 mg) instead of mixing it with the lemonade. I was unable to handle the taste of the powder cayenne in the lemonade and it burn mu throat. I think I took too many. I took 2 tablets (450 mg each) in the morning and my body “burn” for two hours. How many should I take that would equal the 1/10 of teaspoon recommended in the recepee?
Please help!!!!!!!
November 3rd, 2008 at 8:05 pm
Don’t give up Stacy. What part of the lemonade don’t you like? You can substitute lemon with grapefruit. I also read a post that suggested the replacement of maple syrup with honey even though Burrows considered it bee vomit.
Last night was really rough. I almost ate an energy bar but managed to avoid it. I also developed a nasty headache in the evening. I drank my tea a bit earlier and experienced cramps around 10:30 pm with a fairly nasty, flatulent movement. Portland mama might want to try the triple leaf brand tea. Senna also cramps me up but it seems a bit lighter with this brand.
Today my headache was almost gone. I decided to have my back cracked earlier today and that seemed to help with my head. Once again I had the urge to eat but kept myself busy. I even went for a bike ride for about an hour but was really tired and light headed afterwards.
Still not drinking the salt water because of the red tide. I drank water instead. I’m not concerned because my bowels are still moving. I commend Rachel for being able to handle the SWF. That one’s gonna be tough for me, girlfriend! I also dropped two more pounds. I’m down to 154. I think I’ll keep rolling with this. Thanks for the support everyone!
November 4th, 2008 at 5:21 am
Hi all. I started the Cleanse two days ago, but i only just stumbled upon this website today. I really enjoy reading everyone’s comments, makes me feel like I’m not alone… seems like most people are going through basically the same things. It has been pretty easy for me so far… I’ve planned on this cleanse for over a month now, so the rule in my mind is that I’m just not allowed food. No arguments, no questions asked. I’ve hardly been tempted at all. It’s also very easy for me because I’m a college student and I live with four housemates. We hardly ever eat together so i just walk out of the room when i see someone starting to cook. I also just turn down my friends if they want to eat out… I really don’t need the temptations =P
The hardest part, as with most people, is the salt water… the first day it took me ages to swallow it, and i threw up a little of it cuz it was just so bad. I realized that I couldn’t go through 10 days of it, so i decided on a simple solution, I bought STRAWS. I just held the straw deeper in my throat then i normally would. I watched a very entertaining cartoon while drinking the Salt water, and I got through it in under 10 minutes! I didn’t have to taste it at all! Still unpleasant, but not bad at all. I feel confident that i can keep drinking the salt water every day for the entire 10 days. The one change I made is that I drink the Salt water in the evenings… I have class during the morning/day, so I prefer not to have to excuse myself every five minutes.
Good luck to all of you, I will update regularly throughout my experience.
Cheers.
November 4th, 2008 at 11:55 am
Has anyone tried the Smooth Moves Fiber laxitive capsules? I was in Whole Foods today and saw a bottle. I picked up the bottle to read the ingredients and directions. Seems the only difference is that it works in 12 -72 hrs as opposed to the tea which narrows the time to 10-12 hrs. I didn’t buy it but I am wondering now if maybe I should have tried those, it sure would beat having to chugg the tea down :)
November 4th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Tarah,
Yes, it says you may make the lemon drink with hot water. I am actually loving it that way since it is snowing where I live. Reminds me of the hot toddies my mom used to give us when we were growing up - lemon, hot water, honey…and a bit of bourbon. Maybe that is why I like the little kick from the cayenne.
I started yesterday, so far…so good. Told my husband he will need to take care of himself and the kids regarding food. We’ll see how long that lasts. What I can’t give up is sitting with them at meals…that is when we all bond. So far I just drink my lemon drink and all is well.
Sipping on some peppermint tea tonight. It is sure a yummy treat.
Anyway, happy that I’ve almost made it through two days. I was at a real weight loss plateau, so hoping to break through that and also motivate myself to eat healthier when done.
Love and luck to all of you.
Lala
November 4th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Hi so today is my first day of the cleanse and i’ll admit there were tough times and hunger pangs but the day is over and I’m fine. I’m a spin instructor and personal trainer and i work full time and i didnt feel weak or sick, but then I usually eat well I just came off of competition prep so I’m doing this for a detox. My husband on the other hand who has alot of weight to lose is finding it very difficult and actually felt sick (my energy level was high as usual) though i think its part mind over matter. He says he intend to stay with it for a week then I think I will give him a week of healthy broth based soups, I will stay on it for 10 days plus the three day transition. I had the salt water tonight since I wasn’t sure how my body would react and since my job calls for me to be in the gym then on the road most of tomorrow I didn’t want to chance it(it didn’t taste that badly tome but then I was mentally preparing for this all week and weekend, I’ll take the laxative in the AM before I go to the gym. I’m excited about this and will keep you all posted. The comments are great and very helpful.
November 4th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
O.k. Tonight, I am having my first serving of Smooth Moves Tea (I know -I know I was suppose to start the cleanse the night of Oct 29th but with all that candy so close by…) Anyways, seems the country is headed for a change today and so must I. Tonight the tea and tomorrow will begin my day 1 (maybe another serving of tea then too). So I will post again in a day or so, good luck everyone and remember to focus on one day each day and before you know it, we will all be transitioning successfully!!!
Sure wished I would have got those Smooth Moves laxative capsules today (the tea not so good)!
November 4th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
Day 4 and doing well. Finally choked down the salt wash. Whew!!! It works better for me to heat it up. no headaches and slight euphoria. Almost had some soup but resisted the temptation.
Down to 153. I swear these little progressions are what keep me from eating anything solid. Plus my skin has cleared up although I did run into a bit of fatigue after kicking the soccer ball around with a friend earlier. I don’t find myself particularly dehydrated either.
This has been much easier after the first 2 days, they were really hard. Everyone hang in there. I think the last time I tried this I only made it to day 3. My tongue is still heavily coated. Still shooting for 10 days with the 3 day recovery time.
Cheers!!!!!
November 4th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
So my roommates and I started…then one roommate got strep, and we decided we couldn’t compromise our immune systems so we gave up after 24 hours. But what to do with all the lemons and the syrup?
Well, celebrating after Obama’s win we discovered a new Master Cleanse system: guaranteed more fun than any other:
Detox Rum. Just add one (or more!) shots of rum to the master cleanse basic recipe. Absolutely fabulous!
November 5th, 2008 at 12:15 am
Mary, haha, detox rum? Sounds like an oxymoron!
I am at the end of day 3 and still going strong. Minor temptations today… but there’s no way I’m giving up after coming this far.
I noticed I had slightly better sense of sight and smell today… is my imagination running wild, or has anyone else experienced this?
November 5th, 2008 at 12:40 am
I’m getting ready to start this on Thursday.
This site has been very helpful, and my only concerns at the moment are:
1. Getting sick.
2. Tooth sensitivity/erosion.
Along the lines of what the acid in the lemons does to your teeth, would using a baking soda/water rinse every once in a while during the day help?
November 5th, 2008 at 4:56 am
Hey Kit…. I think its inevitable that you will feel a little sick since you are not eating so hunger pangs, headaches and slight weakness the first 3 or 4 days is to be expected. But, if you hold on it will pass and you will love the energy boost you will gain. As far as the tooth sesitivity I don’t know, very good question! Once you try the baking soda let us know your experience.
November 5th, 2008 at 8:59 am
HI, I just wanted to say reading your thoughts and comments of everyones experience has really helped me to decide this is right for me. I wasnt so sure until i began reading this post and learned a little of what i may experience with some helpful hints along the way, so thank you. I really want to do this to detox my body and give me a clean slate, to begin eating healthier and combat my emotional attachment to foods. I am hoping for a few pounds in weight loss as well, and hope that that will encourage me to continue losing by just being healthy and kind to my body while excersising more often.
Today is my day 1. i bought everything i needed at the store and cannot wait to being my journey of detoxing. and while i have read everyones opinions regarding the salt water.. yikeess, i couldnt imagine how hard it would be for me to get down. i nearly gagged my first few sips, and could barely drink 1/4 of the concoction (so far didnt help flush anything)…. this will be my biggest challenge. i hope in the coming days i can put mind over matter and get more of the salt water down… !( i tried adding lemon, and i also tried adding some cold water to dilute it a little.. this helped a little as it was not so salty and a little kick of lemon at the end.. but i definatly still had difficulty in trying to drink it.) :( im so jelous of you that can all get it down. I just read Natalya’s comment about how she used a straw to help get it down, that sounds like such a good idea- i think i will have to try that tommorow- thanks! j/w could you still taste how salty it was this way?
i also found it took me quite some time to make the lemonade.. ? i didnt have a big jug to mix it all in one, so i had to make it in about 6 different bottles, and im not great with math- so i hope i divied all the ingredients right. any ideas on how i can imrpove my method? maybe use a big 60 oz jug?
i am 22 y/o, currently weighing 133.5. My overall goal is to make it to at least 10 days and if i feel i can continue i hope to make it to 14 days total. :)
good luck to all of you. stay strong!
November 5th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Okay, starting day 3. Down 4.8 lbs. with no hunger pangs or anything. Very happy with that. Wanting to break the 160 barrier which has been there for last 10 years. Only 2.3 pounds to get there…maybe tomorrow.
I was in a car accident last night and I was afraid my hubby would say that it was because I was not eating, but I think he can tell that I feel great and not at all compromised, it was just that….an accident. All he said when we got home was, “Bet you wish you could have a beer.” But amazingly, I didn’t.
I haven’t done the SWF yet because of very busy schedule and no 1-2 hour window of time when it might be convenient to rush to the loo. I drank the “chocolate” smooth move tea this morning and I didn’t think it was bad at all. I can taste the licorice root, but that really doesn’t bother me. Will try the salt water tomorrow morning.
All in all, I feel great and hubby and kids being supportive.
Love and luck!!
November 5th, 2008 at 10:55 am
Thanks Antoinette :) I will definitely let you know my experience with the baking soda rinse!
November 5th, 2008 at 11:02 am
Well, it’s day 5. Not to long after I posted last night, I became so excited with the results of the election that I celebrated with a bowl of oatmeal and a bong hit. Yes, I know, Needless to say I was quite disappointed in myself. I’m not giving up. I woke up this morning and did the salt wash like a trooper I lost another pound despite my weak moments last night. Down to 152.
I’m not feeling any ill effects and feel quite energetic. My sense of smell is definitely heightened. Really the only complaint I have now is frequent urination, but that’s to be expected.
I’ve had to brush my teeth multiple times during the day due to grittiness and bad breath. It’s cold here in Colorado and I would really like to make some soup, but I will try to resist the temptation. I heated up the salt water wash so it’s more palatable and more soup-like.
Keep it up everyone!!!!
November 5th, 2008 at 11:38 am
I made the lemonade mixture just now and it seems awfully thick. Can you add water to it to dilute it and make it last longer throughout the day?
November 5th, 2008 at 1:25 pm
So I’m starting the cleanse on Friday. I am going to do it for 15-20 days. After I finish, is it okay to start eating raw fruits right away or should I stick to the orange juice thing?
November 5th, 2008 at 1:43 pm
RTG, good question! I would say don’t chance going to fast too soo. Stick with the O.J. for at least a serving or 2 before downing the fruit. As I understood it, the OJ preps your body to begin digesting again.
November 5th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
Chunka,
Did you know that you can make the lemon/maple drink with hot water?
I am in Utah and it is snowing like crazy and the drink is just so much better hot right now.
Helps with the soup temptation!!
Love and luck!!
November 5th, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Can someone clue me in on where I can get the cayenne pills????
November 5th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Hi everyone! It’s day 4 and all is well. I found myself making a list today of all the yummy foods i’m going to buy when this is done… It was a very long, delicious list…
Laur86- Yea, you can still taste the saltiness but only very little of it. With the straw most of it goes straight into the throat. It quite bearable. I recommend trying to use a straw to anyone who can’t chug that stuff like a keg stand (or has other trouble getting it down).
Straws really are a great thing. I use them now to drink the lemonade too… So no more concerns about tooth erosion! My poor teeth can be left out of this. They do feel so useless this week… I might try chewing on ice =P
Kit and Laur86 - the mixture shouldn’t be thick. The site I used said to use 5 lemons/limes, 1.25 cups of Syrup, and 1 teaspoon of the pepper for a gallon sized jug. I bought a gallon container of water, poured some water out, poured the mixture in, and shook it up. The longest part was squeezing the lemons… I had to do that by hand =(
Good luck to everyone! Hang in there!
November 6th, 2008 at 1:47 am
WOW!!! SO SO SO excited i found this site.
I am so excited to begin that i have not gone to bed yet!
I am started day 0 tonight with the smoothe move tea i had tried
this before so its easy for me to drink. But i think the challange will be
like others the SWF. I have been researching this cleanse for about 3 weeks
now and have decided that ITS TIME FOR CHANGE.
A lil about me is I am 25 and have a 5 year old daughter.
Before, becoming pregnant my weight was always between 110 and 115. NOW I AM a whopping 170 and only 5 FEET TALL, and have yo-yo’d with out an official “Diet” just eating right (but falling off over and over again in 5 yrs) from 145ish and 170. I LOVE FOOD, am of Mexican decsent so all the traditional food plus all the other ethnic foods in Chicago diverse community has me LOVING everything. I have always ate as much as i want whenever i want, but i guess due to age and having a child my metabloisim is VERY SLOW. In addition, i used to work out regularly now i have NO activity. Since having my daughter i had changed my diet and did some excercise and did go down to about 147lbs about 2 summers ago. Only to be faced with unemployment now for 8 months and i have gained it all back AND THEN SOME.
I have to make changes in my lifestyle and i guess if i need to be near a toliet at all times, THE TIME IS NOW.
I will be posting hopefully on a daily basis, and am considering doing a youtube video log about my experience not sure though.
The HARDEST HARDEST i think will be continuing to cook nutritious meals for my daughter throughout the day. But will have to stick with it because ultimately i would like to be in better spirts despite my unemployment and yearn for the ENERGY that this cleanse may bring me for my daughter.
Good luck to EVERYONE.
LILI
November 6th, 2008 at 6:13 am
Ready to start,
don’t use the pills, if you are already doing the cleanse, they will just go through your system. Plus there is something about the cayenne needs to go through your whole digestive track.
Sorry to everyone I haven’t posted in a while. Today is day 6 for me. I can’t believe I’ve gone this far. I did find the blackstrap molases was disgusting, and still had trouble with the lemonade with the maple syrup. I had to take the maple syrup down to one tablespoon. Some people do that for weight loss, but I was want to stick to the original recipe, but I just couldn’t get the lemonade down with 2 tablespoons. Plus, I’ve read you can just add a little cayenne and build up to it, if you are having problems with the cayenne.
As far as the smooth move pills, see above about the cayenne pills.
I drink my saltwater warm, it’s more like a warm salty broth that way. I tried the 1 cups salt water and 3 cups water, it didn’t work, I couldn’t choke down the 1st cup of salt water.
As far as the lemonade hot, as long as it all isn’t hot I think it’s alright. I beleive heating it up breaks down some of the enzymes or something, so I would say do it sometimes, but not all the time.
November 6th, 2008 at 8:39 am
Thanks Symara, I may try the straw with the lemonade as ususally the spiciest part of the lemonade is at the bottom of the drink itself… can I get witness!! DANG THAT STUFF IS SPICEY!! and I’m Mexican… low tolerence for spicey food, weird, right? Anywho… the one cup salt w/3 cups chase… yeah, love me some lemon in that first cup… makes it taste more like the last few sips of sour ramen noodle soup. Try it that way you may actually like it, sour/salty. I decided I will post my weight loss after I complete the whole 10 days, then after that go off for a couple weeks and try to do 15 or 20. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! STAY STRONG!!! :0)
November 6th, 2008 at 10:09 am
Second day, and I woke up feeling like I had a hangover. I think that was from the saline rinse as it probably dehydrated me, even though I still drank water afterwards. I actually enjoyed the saline rinse, kind of like chicken soup. And I put cayenne pepper on evvvverything so I make my lemonade really spicy.
So far so good!
November 6th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Hey! I’ve been reading everyones comments and Im ready to start! Im going to give my self a week or so to prepare(I need time to put vacy. request off…I want to take time off from work). I dont like the idea of being at work while i have to run to the bath room every 10 mins. lol I hate! hot or spicy food.. and I read from another site, that instead of using the pepper powder, you can take 2 cayenne pepper pills with each cup of lemonade. The pills are pretty cheap too, like 5 dollars for 100! So if anyone else hates hot food, def. try it!!! I’ll be back to read and update you everyone!
November 6th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
Theresa, let me know where you find cayenne pills, thanks.
November 6th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
Day 4 almost at an end.
Did the salt water flush this morning. The drinking wasn’t too bad (I mixed 2 tsp. with 2 cups warm water - followed by two cups plain warm water) and it definitely did what it was supposed to, but didn’t feel very well for a couple of hours while it kept working -nauseated, headachy, bad backache… and I just hadn’t had any of that so far. Might drink the tea tonight and skip the salt water tomorrow. I read somewhere that if your bowels are moving, you don’t need to do that every day anyway. We’ll see what tomorrow brings :0
Anyway, my day went crazy after that so hadn’t had any lemon drinks all day until just now, my first lemon drink of the day (with hot water) BTW, I am not trying to be the hot water advocate, I read it above in the text where it tells the recipe for the drink - apparently that is what Stanley recommended.
Had lost 6 pounds total when I weighed this morning. Weight seems to be coming off fairly radically.
I entertained the thought of staying on during the week and going off weekends, my hubby is getting a little grouchy having to do all the cooking and not getting to go out for lunch or dinner with me. I’ve done total fasts before and not had trouble with the transition back to solid foods if I really make sane choices.
We shall see.
Love and luck!!
November 6th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
Hello everyone!
Here is how it went for day 1.
I took the salt water with a little less then a cup
with warm water and gulped it down. Not so good gross!
I then drank the rest of the water lukewarm so total time to drink
it all was like under 10 min. I did not feel so good
afterward stomach was burning and I layed down as I tried to the
fight theurge of throwing up. It took about 3 hours to work…… strange.
Also, total times to the restroom is only 4 # 1’s & 3 # 2’s.
Not sure why any ideas??????
I do already miss food and have been tempted but havent gave in. :)
I love the lemonade and its true what someone posted before that it tastes
like some mexican candy.
I’ll post tomorrow let u guys know wat happened
“Ready to start cleanse” ok i will try the lemon in the first cup see if its a lil easier.
Thanks guys!!!!!!!
November 6th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
I was wondering if anyone has tried suppositories instead of the salt drink, it does the same thing. I have tried Fleet before two colon procedures and I hate that stuff and just reading about the salt water makes me gag.
November 6th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
Day 6 almost over. Yay!!!! For those of you that have started in the last few days, it’s normal to feel sick. Your body is detoxing, but hang in there. At day 6, all I feel is general weakness and hunger pangs ever now and again. The salt wash goes down much easier now when it’s warmed up. Sunny, thanks for the recommendation on heating the lemonade!
I know people who have skipped the tea and salt wash both when they have movements and have had no ill effects. I’ve also been one of those people who can go back to regular food fairly quickly. The last time I did this I had orange juice, veggies and bananas the first day off the cleanse.
What it comes down to is everyone reacts differently. You learn a lot about your own body when you experiment like this. What it can take and what it can’t, etc. Also, don’t believe it when other people tell you you’re crazy for doing this. They just need to open their minds.
Anyhoo, the tongue is still coated and I’ve got 3 days to go!! I can’t believe I’ve made it this far.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:26 am
End of day 5! At the halfway point =)
Today was rather difficult actually. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that I didn’t get enough sleep. I also had a very busy day with lots of studying and class. I could hardly stop thinking about food… I didn’t realize my emotional attachment to it was this bad. The longer I go, the more I miss it. At night I had an activity were I was running around and standing for 4 hours straight. It didn’t go that well. Towards the end I got extremely light headed and felt signs of fainting. I drank some water and it went away, but I still feel quite tired and weak. I also barely drank any lemony drink today… I was just so busy I kept forgetting. Skipping the SWF tonight… I feel a bit nauseous, I dont think I can handle that stuff right now.
Lesson learned: Get plenty of sleep! And don’t bit off more then you can chew.
Hopefully tomorrow will go smoother. Take care all.
November 7th, 2008 at 4:42 am
LiliChicago,
It still can take a few to 3 or even 4 hours for the salt water flush to kick in for me, I noticed especially if I lay down afterwards. Walk around the house, it may help. Mine is going faster now that the majority of food is out of my digestive track.
I think the saltwater is there to go through your entire system, and flush out anything “sticking” or that the tea has loosened (sp?, is that a word?) If you just use a sapository, it’s not going to work as well. (just my thoughts)
Natalya,
you’ll notice that you feel better as it goes on, even if you don’t get a lot of sleep. Of course, my dreams are dreams of eating solid food now, but I’m sleeping better than what I was also.
November 7th, 2008 at 7:27 am
Good Morning, Everyone.
Thanks everyone for taking the time to post. I really look forward to seeing what each of you have to say and hear how your experience is going.
This is the morning of Day 5 for me. Interesting experience yesterday - started with the SWF and felt pretty crappy (in many ways) for the next few hours. I finally had to take a few Advil, my back was killing me. Day got busy and I drank lots of water, but only one lemon drink - in the evening. Couldn’t believe it when I got on the scale this morning and my weight was up .8# from yesterday. So, learned a lesson…..for me, the SWF and not drinking the detox lemon drinks is not a good combination.
So this morning I was 161.8 and I really want to get under 160, it has been a barrier for me for so many years…maybe this little setback will give me the willpower to stay on through the weekend.
Drank the chocolate smooth move this morning and had a cup of lemon drink. Sure don’t want to have another gain.
I feel great, though, in every other way. Skin very soft and clear, mood very calm and happy, plenty of energy for most of the day. I sometimes have a mini-crash where I just wish I could lie down for a bit, but that happens to me even when not on a cleanse. Usually passes if I push through it.
Last night my hubby made lasagna and garlic toast for my family for dinner. It smelled so good that I decided to go to a Course in Miracles meeting instead of sitting with them at dinnertime, which I have been trying to do. First time the food cravings were almost too much for me. Again, probably not a good idea to skip the lemon drink all day.
Thanks again for all who are posting, this is my first MC, so don’t have a ton of info or tips to impart, just helps to share my experience. So far only my family know that I am on the cleanse.
Love and luck!!
November 7th, 2008 at 7:39 am
so I originally planned day 1 three days ago, but things came up and I was unable to continue. But now I am back on it. counting today as day 1. Although I wasn’t keeping up with the cleanse, I did however keep drinking the senna smooth move tea at night. only to find for the past three days of taking it it hasn’t been doing what it should be doing- I haven’t had to make any extra stops to the restroom. idk, I thought this was strange, maybe I’m doing something wrong? Has any one else had no reaction to the tea?
Also, one quick question- I bought sea salt that says Does Not Contain Iodide- is this the same thing as uniodized? I know this may seem like a silly question, and I thought I knew, but now I am kind of second guessing myself and wanted another opinion. I haven’t drank the salt water flush (besides maybe a few gulpfuls.. ) and I don’t want to retain all that salt if it is the wrong type…
Thanks!
November 7th, 2008 at 8:23 am
Laura86: That is a good question about the salt, I picked up iodized seasalt at wally world the other day, I haven’t used it and was wondering the same thing…. does anyone know if iodized or uniodized matter as long as it is seasalt??????
November 7th, 2008 at 8:33 am
BTW, in all fairness to all that are being so commited, I ran low on supplies the other day and was only able to stay on for four days… I have to purchase the maple syrup in bulk at whole foods I guess, the 32 oz bottle only lasts me 3 to 4 days and it’s not exactly cheap. Next time I will pick up 2 bottles or 3 if I can swing it, sucks having to stop in the middle of the cleanse. HAPPY CLEANSING EVERYONE, will post soon…
November 7th, 2008 at 8:44 am
Hi Laur and Ready to Start,
If you read the text above, it definitely recommends noniodized salt (which I think is the same as “does not contain iodide”. As I start reading other websites there are some subtle changes in what they recommend, but they always say noniodized sea salt.
Hope this helps. Ready to Start… get back in the saddle soon…
Love and luck!
November 7th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Sunny,
Thanks! I was wondering if anyone besides my friends were reading it. :)
I’ve noticed if I stay hydrated (water and lemonade, some herbal tea) I do not have a problem retaining a lot of the salt water, and I’ve seen that commented by other people too. They say it seems their body tries to absorb it if they haven’t drank enough the day before.
As far as the salt you are right.
The salt I use it Celti Sea Salt, it has extra minerals and such in it, and others have said it’s easier to use than other brands. I’m not sure about that since I haven’t tried other brands.
Laur,
As far as the smooth move, it works for me. I’m not really sure why it’s not working for you.
I take a walk while my husband is eating, just me and the dog. I get some exercise, he gets a walk, and I don’t have to watch my husband eat.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:05 am
I am 190lbs and miserable. Not exactly sure how I got here but really want to leave here. I am on day one and hoping that I find the same success as everyone here. I especially like the cleansing part of the diet. It is not just for weight lost it is for cleasing and providing more energy and a healthier colon. Wish me luck!
November 7th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Finishing up the third day tonight. I only had one litre of the mixture today and I just haven’t been hungry. I’ve been using a baking soda and water rinse/swish every once in a while to neutralize the acid from the lemons in my mouth.
What day does your tongue start getting white?
I felt pretty normal today. Not great, not bad. But at least I didn’t have a headache today :)
November 7th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
Whew! Wrapping up day 7!!!
Natalya, I know what you mean about being emotionally attached to food. This was a day that I couldn’t stop thinking about food. I had to go to Whole Foods to pick up some lemons and maple syrup and all I wanted to do was grab some sushi. Thankfully, I made it out alive.
As I write this I’m thinking about eating a turkey and swiss sandwich. I only have a few days left so I’m going to fight the urge.
I’m at 153 borderline 152. I thought there might be a plateau due to the red tide which has thankfully ceased.
I really want to get under 150, very much like Sunny I’ve been stuck around a certain weight for quite a while and have had no success breaking away from the 150’s. Never had a problem with weigh until I hypothyroid issues. I have busted my ass for 5 years to lose just 10 pounds and keep it off. I don’t just sit around either. I hike, bike, snowboard, etc. It seems all I have to do is think about food and I gain.
Oh well, I’m at least sticking with this until day 10. The tongue is actually a little pinker today. Yay!!!
November 7th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
On day 5, i have lost 8 pounds and have kept strict to the diet. Really love food and would like to eat, but don’t want to ruin it, I can’t believe I made it this far. Is it bad to stop at seven days, why do we have to do ten? I think I can do ten, but seven sounds better at this point.
November 7th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I’ve been drinking the salt water flush and the Smooth Move tea but haven’t had the immediate urge that everyone talks about. It takes several hours and then I pass very little. Should I be worried? What else can I do to get my bowels moving sorry for the TMI. I’m on Day 5 and plan on going 14 days with 3-5 days extra to switch from Cleanse to regular diet. Keep at it everyone.
November 7th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
HI everyone!!!!!!!! wrapping up day 2!
Thanks Symara, I acctually have just been getting up
around 5 just to drink the SWF and then laying down.
I will just wait till I wake up normally and then take it. :)
Hopefully it works best.
Also, thanks to the few who suggested the lemon in the SWF.
I NOW LOVE IT……….TOTALLY GOOD!!!!!!!!!
Exactly, what someone said: “tastes like ramen noodle soup w/lemon”
I havent had that in a long time but as soon as i took a sip…..it was
better on the taste buds then i just gulped it down( 1 cup w/lemon)
Then I had about 32 oz of water.
I am quite concerened how ever.
I have had bowl movements but mostly liquidy and sometimes
just “water bowles” AND VERY DISAPPOINTED only 2lbs LOST!
Ill continue as long as the scale changes if not I dont think I can fight the urge of food when there is no weightloss.
This maybe premature to determine……but 2 days no food and 2lbs only.
Wierd!!!
PLEASE ADVISE THOSE OF U WITH BETTER SUCESS.
again I am 5 feet and 168 ( 170 2 days ago)
used to be under 120 about 5-6 years ago and I am 25 w/a 5 yr old daughter.
Thanks
LILICHICAGO
November 8th, 2008 at 5:48 am
Hi Everyone,
I have a newfound respect for all of you who made it through day 5. I didn’t.
All day I was trying to decide if I was going to go out to dinner and by late afternoon, I gave in and ate some delicious (though not very healthy) leftovers out of the fridge….well, I warmed them up :)…and just tiny portions.
Then, since I had already blown in I had two of those little Snickers bars that were left over from Halloween.
Then my husband came home and said that plans had changed and we weren’t going out to dinner :0 So I didn’t eat anything else…wasn’t really hungry….and that made me think alot about how I haven’t been truly hungry at all on this, just had “mind cravings”….food fantasies…you know!!!!
So, I think it is fairly obvious that my main objective is the weight loss…and I don’t think there is anything wrong with that. I realize how much more comfy my clothes feel… I am one of those people who just won’t buy a larger size than a 14…probably the only thing that has kept me from gaining even more weight over the last few years. But there have definitely been times I could only wear my STRETCHY 14’s. Anyway, 14’s are very comfy and wore some cute size 12 pants last night. Hadn’t been into those for a long time.
Woke up this morning not at all hungry and had some Smooth Move Chocolate Tea - yummy. I have one more craving that I am going to give in to today…I will spare you the details….but it is really fairly healthy….just can’t get it out of my mind. Other than that one light meal I am going to commit to remaining on the cleanse, and then tomorrow go back on until next weekend.
I know that cheating may defeat the “cleanse” potential, but I really am feeling great. I started this on a whim and now I see that maybe I should have had a few of my favorite things before I started?
Weekend is an easier time for me to exercise, so I am going to be sure to get moving, which I didn’t do much of this past week. We had lots of snow and I like to get my exercise outside.
Love and luck to all of you…be strong…will check in tomorrow.
November 8th, 2008 at 3:25 pm
Day 5 and my first post…
Curious how in the past I could never even make it even one day through any kind of fast, but here I am at day 5! Very excited!! I started election day as it was/is time for a change…at 6 foot 5, 281 lbs. and a former athlete I had a lot of aches/pains in the hips knees and ankles and those are significantly decreased…started with the AM salt water but after day 3 and no more solid matter inside or bowel movements, eliminated that as all I see it doing is making your body retain water, better off in my opinion to just drink the lemonade and more tea and water, at least for me…down to 268 or 13 lbs. and several inches fitting into a pair of old Levi 501’s today ( I put them on in front of my wife who has been thin always, bakes daily, and shops for the house putting nothing but temptation in front of me! She was shocked!!). I ahve stacked all my old jeans which I have saved for years and will be putting on the 38’s, then the 36’s, the 34’s and eventually the 32 inch waist again!
Obviously, as controlled fasts go, this works, the question is how much is water weight and how much is fat/muscle lost? Who knows for sure, but guess what, if your big fat a#@ and the rest of you is getting smaller and in getting that big you had to put on some extra muscle to carry the weight, you can probably stand to lose a little muscle along with the fat and water you were retaining due to poor diet. At my height I could always carry the weight but was miserable, it is great to begin to see my facial features again (forgot how handsome I was!), and at 47 with all my hair starting to make a second run at really caring about my health and how I look like I did in my 20’s! The goal for me is to use this as a “SpringBoard” into a better diet and better dietary choices, not go crazy like some of the Celebs referenced and try to lose a ridiculously large amount of weight all at once…I will come off between day 7 and day 10, transitioning as directed and then do this again at the start of December…final note, don’t just sit on your butt and expect a miralce, let alone any results! I am doing 2-3 short walks, 15-30 minutes max at various times of the day which also helps get your mind off food. Its exciting to demonstrate some sheer force of will = WillPower when for so long I couldn’t, good luck to all, you CAN DO this!!!
November 8th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
I’m starting day one in the morning… I didn’t pay attention to getting the right tea and I’m sure the heath food stores are all closed tomorrow, so the tea will be omited for the first two nights. I told my boyfriend today that I was doing this and he said he needed to do the same thing. I love his attitude!!! I’m a little apprehensive, but I’m sure I can see this through. I’m starting because I need to lose the weight! I’ve done cleanses before and tried fasting… it’s a very healthy way to re-energize healthy eating habits again. I am 190 lbs, and only 5′3″ tall. I can’t imagine even being 140 lbs… if I were 160 lbs I’d be thrilled… I’ve had so many years of failure on the scale. I can only do 10 days for now, but if this works, I’m hitting it again for a longer duration! I read through EVERY blog and found it all very interesting… I have a really good idea what to expect now… thanks everyone, for sharing your experiences… it’s been very helpful!
Helen.
November 9th, 2008 at 5:08 am
So I skipped yesterdays update, but today was the end of day 7. Thank goodness!
This has been a rough week. Yesterday went by very smoothly. Today was great for the most part except for when studying for a big test I always love to munch on something. Today I had to study for my upcoming midterm and I found the urge to eat almost irresistible to the point that I wanted to stop studying just for it to go away. But I didn’t. I won’t give up, but I am not looking forward to 3 more days of temptations.
Also, my tongue has been coated with a wacky whitish-yellowish gunk for the past 2 days… Hope that goes away.
I also found Peter Glickmans site, and he said that if you have trouble with the SWF you can substitute with a second cup of laxative tea in the morning. Since the SWF became the lowest, nastiest part of my day, i’ve decided to take him up on that… No more SWF for me! The tea works perfectly anyway, and tastes fine. woohoo!
I’m also feeling thinner… More bones poking out anyway. But I was never doing this for weight loss. People who are doing this for weight loss though and counting every pound… you do realize that a lot of what you’re losing is water weight and that you’ll likely gain at least half of it back at the end of the fast? Just saying…
Good luck thought to everyone with all your goals =)
November 9th, 2008 at 8:04 am
Im on day 3 now. I didn’t realize how strong I am when it comes to rejecting food. On my 1st day, I got my son and husband food from Sonic and on my 2nd day, we or they ordered Chipotle.
I haven’t taken the saline wash b/c I can’t and so I just drink the tea morning and night. Also I only drink the lemonade about 3x a day b/c I don’t get hungry and I rarely drink water at all too.
My question is…
Is it healthy to just drink the lemonade 3x a day and not a lot of water ( i love water, but I noticed I never craved nor remember to drink water on this cleanse).
My next question is, my tea is Yogi - Get Regular and I drink it morning and night, but I’ll only make 2 bowel movement a day and it’s not even a lot. Should I change my tea? and to what b/c Publix and Walmart does not have any herbal laxative tea.
Thanks!
November 9th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Hey guys….i’m 17 years old and ive gained some weight through out high school that I want to get rid off for prom this year. I tried drinking the salt wash but I could only get 2 cups down. The herbal tea that I drank 2 nights hasn’t worked. This is my 2nd day and so far ive had NO bowel movements….should I be worried??
I just drank the salt water now and my stomach feels kind of funny but thats about it. Normally I dont go to the bath room that much so idk..
but does nebody know of any alternatives to the salt water because I cant hold nethiing down….
THanks
November 9th, 2008 at 10:33 am
Tia,
I’ve had the same problem, then eventually I had bowel movement toward the end of my 2nd day.
November 9th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I didn’t plan to add anything till tomorrow, but after reading Tia’s comment — I just wondered if most people even know what a “healthy” stool is…. It should be large, long, light brown, and should float on the waters’ surface. If it’s dark and sinks like a rock, then you definately need this cleanse!
Most have complained about the sea salt water, but I found that to be the easy part… I warmed it up, added just a dash of lemon juice (that I now feel was unnecessary), and sipped it while reading my morning email. My first bowel movement was normal… then came the onslaught of … well, you know. But even that only lasted about an hour and maybe 7 flushes.
My biggest challenge is that I feel I put too much cayenne pepper into my 60 oz. And I was also wondering how this lemon juice would fare on my throat. I’ve trtied it cold, warm, hot… I added water to lessen the strength, but it doesn’t seem to dilute it at all and then I’m just left with more to drink. Here it is past 4:30 p.m. and I’ve only had half of my daily intake. I’d love to just chug it, I really am hungry and I think it would fill me up, but my throat just cant take it. The only way I could possibly finish this amount tonight is if I dilute it ALOT more. Does anyone know if that’s ok?
November 9th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I’m sorry… you should also be having a good 3 stools / day!
November 9th, 2008 at 7:09 pm
I have been researching and reading this blog for several weeks and feel that its time to make a move! I shopped today for my supplies, except for the tea, which I will get tomorrow. I am so glad that other people struggle with the whole will power thing, at least I am not alone in this area. I intend to start day 0 tomorrow and am worried that I wont be strong enough to not eat anything. I LOVE FOOD!!! But I am going to stay busy and try to keep my mind off of food. I am 5′1 and weigh in at 185lbs I think that I will be happy with any weight loss that occurs just to know that I can do it. I’m goning to take it one day at a time but I hope to go 10 days. After that I WILL be eating healthier and making better choices for myself and my 2 kids. I am sorry to say that the way I have been eating is starting to wear off on my son who is starting to get overweight. How can I tell him that he can’t have the candybar or bag of chips if I eat the same thing. So starting tomorrow I will cook better and feed my children better foods, I will take control over my weight issues so that I can help my son with his and we will be a healthier and happier family. I will try to post throughout my cleanse and pray for all of us taking this challenge together! Best wishes to everyone (including me) and don’t give up (including me) :)!!!
November 9th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Oh yeah one more thing –Is the SWF really that bad? guess I’m gonna find out huh! I think I’ll try it everyway that has been suggested just to find the best one for me. Thanks in advance for all the support, I’m gonna need it and I know that I’ll get it here.
November 9th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
Hey Everybody,
Hurray!! Some newcomers. And Conman, already past day 5.
Okay, I’m starting again in the morning. I did 4 days last week and I felt great. Went off for the weekend, but I would like to stay on Mon. thru Friday again. I think I will be ready to revamp my diet to much more healthy. Even this weekend I didn’t have coffee or sugar or alcohol cravings, so maybe I can cross those things off my list of bugaboos.
I really didn’t like the saltwater flush. I didn’t mind drinking it, but really didn’t like the way it made me feel. I have some health issues going on right now, so I am going to trust my intuition and stay away from it as long as everything keeps moving - which I seem to have no trouble with even when I’m not on a cleanse.
I usually like to follow the rules religiously, but since I am feeling great, skin looks great, energy and mood great, I’m just going to do it my way.
Just a note to you newcomers - I really think my downfall this past week was that on Thurs. I only drank one cup of the lemon/maple drink because I was really busy and feeling no hunger. I think that let my cravings get the best of me because on Fri. all I could think about was food and I finally just ate. I won’t make that mistake again.
Love and luck!!!
November 9th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Hey all! Wrapping up day 8!
There are many things to say about this cleanse… You really learn the difference between emotional hunger and physical hunger. I have discovered that I am absolutely addicted to food. I rarely drink or do drugs, I never smoke, I hardly ever eat fast food, and so I thought I had a very non-addictive personality. It is apparent to me now that eating for me is more often then not entirely emotional. I feel my relationship with food changing, and I’m learning the difference between cravings and hunger. It’s quite amazing really. And quite difficult.
After doing lots more research on fasting, I have a new goal, and that is to fast for as long as it takes until my tongue is completely pink with no coating because that is the sign that your body is detoxified and is functioning at optimal levels. This may take over 30 days, so it’ll have to be done during the summer or when I have no school. This 10 day MC is a very valuable trial run for me. I would stay on longer, but it is far too distracting from my busy life.
There are 2 full days left for me, and rather then being excited to get them over with, I plan on enjoying them to the fullest.
I’ll check in again tomorrow. Happy detoxing!
November 10th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Day 4 for me (total lost 7lbs)
It’s really not as hard as I thought it would be. I can sit with my family during each meal and look at them eat as I drink my juice. Moving on, I lost 7lbs total as of this morning. I guess b/c I only drink about 2 to 3 set of the lemonade drink, though I havent really had a lot of bowel movement b/c I haven’t been taking the salt water and the herbal lax. tea is just not working for me.
I’m excited to see my total weight loss on my 10th day, considering a lot of people only lose 10lbs in 10 days and I lost 7lbs in 3days.
This is just my jump start for my diet b/c I already lost 20lbs prior to this, but had reached a plateau. After this, I’ll be going back to 1,000 cal. per day and working out.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Day 1 and 2 lbs lost… I love it already! After reading more, I discovered that I was indeed putting too much lemon juice into the mixture… thank goodness! So I chugged several glasses of water in the evening to make up for volume. The evening tea tastes like dirt…lol. But I can handle it. :0)
What’s strange to me… is that today I’ve been on a roll!!! Wonder if it’s just psycological… but I’ve had a TON of energy and I’ve been Sooo… organized!!! No nausea, no dizziness, just feeling great! I have been hungry and I need to slow down on the lemon drink and focus on water… I only have 2 glasses left to make it 6… I have a feeling I’ll be drinking past that 6th glass.
I want to stay on this to the T, if possible, in order to get the maximum results.
Good luck to everyone trying this… it’s so cool that I can share this with others doing the same thing… and I’m journaling in a note pad as well… always recomended when you’re losing weight!!!
Helen.
November 10th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
OK. So I am totally inspried and anxious to start this detox! My primary reason is to be the skinny b*tch at Thanksgiving this year. I also plan on continuing the drink after Thanksgiving. My friend Adrienne told me about it, and we went to the store the same day for the ingredients. We were shopping when she was talking about it, and she gave the recipe to another shopper right there in the store!! I am so excited!! Heres to Adrienne & I, and all of you!!!
Happy Detoxing!!!
November 11th, 2008 at 2:02 am
Hi All,
I think I need some advice. I am on day 4 and I had the SWF on the first 2 days but that combined with the tea has caused alot of diarrhoea. I wake up during the night because of the Senna tea and have to dash to the toilet.
Do I need to still take the SWF if I am having so many movements?
I am really worried about taking it before work.
Today I had the Senna tea at work to replace the SWF and spent the afternoon on the toilet & had to go home early.
But my tongue was coated this morning and I have noticed alot of mucus (eeww sorry) So I guess it is working! I have done several other fasts before all juice ones. Some involving enema’s and colonics and I am impressed with how easily my body is releasing all of the excess waste so early on. It seems more effective than the ones I did previously which is exciting. It really makes me want to go on. Except that I am exhausted from lack of sleep and it is affecting my job.
Has anyone else had trouble like this and does it get easier?
November 11th, 2008 at 5:53 am
Christin,
I have not had the exact problem you have, but I have gotten up early to go to the bathroom before the alarm goes off. I have a couple of questions for you.
What time are you drinking the tea? going to bed? getting up for your bowel movement?
After I do the SWF I have 3-6 movements. I have been getting up at 4am to try to get it done before I go to work. I think the saltwater helps flush you system out more. The way I’ve heard it put, is the tea help breaks it up, the SWF washes it out. I’ve been pretty regular with my movements after the SWF. In fact, until the last day or so, I was only going in the mornings after the SWF or sometimes before also if the tea kicked in. THe last couple days I’ve been going at night also, before I even drink the tea, so I’m not sure what’s going on with me. I’m on day 11 today.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Stocked up on more supplies…. thanks **SUNNY** for the encouragement on getting myself back on the saddle!! ;0) Went to whole foods yesterday and got 2) 32 oz bottles of grade b syrup, UNiodized seasalt and chocolate smooth move senna tea. I still had left over lemons from when I ran out in the middle of my cleanse last time on day 4. No excuses this time, I will purchase another bottle this week end and more lemons so as to stay on for the full 10 days, 15 if I can. I wasn’t going to post until after I had several days under my belt but felt compelled and inspired to do so after reading the additional posts on here since the last time I was on here… never give up, pick yourself up and start over again when you have to!! Our bodies and minds are capable of so much more than we can imagine. I’m excited to hit the ground running, tomorrow will be day 1 again for me. Question: has anyone used syrup, honey or sugar in their tea? sorry but I HAVE to add a little something to it to make it go down!
Conman: I folded and piled all my small jeans in stacks last night too, I enjoyed your comment, very direct and to the point. :)
Ok ya’ll now that I have come clean on where I am in this journey, I hope I have inspired someone as I have been by all the different comments… Good luck and happy cleansing til next time!!
November 11th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Finishing up on Day 6 now. I’ve done other cleanses ever year for the past 3 years. I am very active and and eat 90% healthy, organic food. I am enjoying the added energy but I’m finding the weight loss alarming. I had hoped that the loss would be relative to starting weight (the same % but not the same amount as others at a higher starting weight). I had set a goal of 10 days, but I’m afraid I have to lower my goal to 7 days :(. I have also passing very little over the last 2 days.
Just wondering if anyone is in the same boat? Thanks for all the helpful comments!
November 11th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Day 10!
Feeling great, but excited to be done.
Happy cleansing!
November 11th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
You all are SUCH an inspiration - thank you! I’ve had the Master Cleanser book for several weeks but have hesitated to start. After reading all of your wonderful posts, I now think it may just be possible for this “fifty-something” granny to get back into those size 4 jeans! I am committed to starting the Cleanse but do have a couple of concerns - namely giving up my coffee and diet Dr. Pepper! Perhaps if I start weening myself this evening the horrible headaches won’t start when I begin the program. Also, I was thinking that I would begin this weekend Friday night/Saturday - due to the “bathroom issues” - does anyone have thoughts on that? From the posts I’ve read (and I think I’ve read all of them!) it seems as if start days are all over the place - has anyone found one day of the week to be preferrable over another? I have a 25 min. drive to work each morning so really wanted to know what I was facing before heading to the office.
This will be my first attempt with such a cleansing diet. I already shudder to think of what GUNK has built up in my body lo’ these many decades!
Wish me luck…and a major THANK YOU to each and every one of you for the inspiration to try! Now….where did I put that shopping list!
November 11th, 2008 at 9:42 pm
Aydee… I read that you should DEFINATELY “NOT” take honey while on this cleanse! Sugar … probably not a good idea. Have you tried the maple syrup? Since that is part of the mixture, maybe it would be ok. Otherwise, I would suggest Xylitol (which actually reverses gum disease) or better yet… stevia, which is a healthy sweetener for diabetics. Both are at the heath food store.
I am at the end of day 2, down 4 lbs. The morning “flush” actually had me a little light headed and after the swf, I was really dehydrated (nothing a few glasses of water couldn’t take care of! Other than that, I am feeling completely normal. Still hungry (especially in the evening), but hey… I’m tough…lol. I knew I’d feel hungry and I’ve read that the first 3 days are the roughest.
Good luck everyone!!!
Helen :0)
November 12th, 2008 at 7:35 am
Good morning, everyone.
Natalya, congratualations!! Ten days! You should be very proud of yourself.
Aydee - I agree with Helen that using the syrup to sweeten your tea is probably the best bet - have you tried the Choc. Smooth Move yet? It seems very sweet to me - I think it is the licorice in it.
I went back on the cleanse Mon. morning, so technically I just finished Day 2 (for the 2nd time - since I had my little solid food binge last weekend).
However, it was very easy to start again and the past few days have been easy - I guess because this time around I know what to expect.
Thanks everyone - I really look forward to seeing your posts when I check in - it helps me stay motivated.
BTW, I weighed in at 160 this morning, so total of 7 lbs lost in 9 days. I should be under that 160 mark tomorrow morning - what a milestone for me - and I am feeling great.
MsCam, I think that beginning on a weekend is a great idea so that you can see how your body is reacting to the tea and SWF. I haven’t had any bathroom issues or “close calls”. I have been able to go about my day pretty much on schedule, however that does mean I allow myself a reasonable amount of time to be near my own bathroom after I have done the SWF or had the tea.
Love and luck!!!
Sunny
November 12th, 2008 at 9:31 am
Thank you for your positive words of encouragement, Sunny! You and I are very near the same weight so I will use you as my inspiration! I have taken over the counter vitamins and calcium for years and I am hesitant to give them up - even for two weeks. What do you suggest?
This website discovery truly has been a blessing - not sure I would have ventured to begin the program had I not discovered these helpful posts! I am, generally speaking, a very private person so the Master Cleanse isn’t exactly something I’d ask friends and co-workers about…. plus, I wouldn’t want to listen to the “flak” I would get from the nay-sayers.
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
cam
November 12th, 2008 at 10:18 am
Hi MsCam,
That’s funny! We have more in common than our weight.
I will be fifty in March and it is the first time I’ve ever been really excited about a birthday. It just seems like a real life mile marker for me. So many things in my life are just amazing and I was frustrated with myself for not taking control of my weight. I have had a few health issues come up this past year and just decided that I am going to do all I can to be as healthy as I can be from here on out, but I needed a jumpstart.
I also love Diet Dr. Pepper (my soda of choice, for sure) and coffee. However, I kicked my soda addiction several years ago, so just had the coffee to deal with when I started the cleanse. I found that after the first few days of the cleanse, I didn’t miss my morning coffee at all (it had been a real ritual for me - I would wake up at 5 am to have some time to myself before my husband and kids got up - drink my 2 cups of coffee, check emails, read the paper - and then I could be nice by the time everyone else got up). So, pleasantly surprised that the withdrawals weren’t more severe - I didn’t even drink it last weekend when I decided to go off for a few days and satisfy some of my cravings. Now I just drink my chocolate smooth move in the mornings and if I am craving something different, I occasionally have some herbal peppermint tea. It is a wonderful treat and allowed on the cleanse, according to the text above.
I’m private, too. Only my husband and sons know that I am doing this - and even to them I didn’t call it a cleanse or a diet, just told them that it is a way to get my body healthy and jumpstart eating healthier.
I don’t take any vitamins or supplements, but if you are at risk for osteoporosis, I probably wouldn’t quit your calcium, but if not, it probably wouldn’t hurt to go off short-term. I’ve taken several Advil a few times - I was involved in a car accident the first week and had some residual soreness. I tend to follow my instincts on these things and take the “rules” with a grain of salt, so to speak.
I don’t have the willpower to cook for other people when I can’t eat it myself, so my husband has taken on all of the cooking since I started on Nov. 3rd. He has been great, but I can tell he would be happy if I would start contributing a bit more. On the other hand, I know he would be happy to see me back at my normal weight of 145-150. Well, that was normal after the birth of my second son in ‘98. In the next few years I blew past the 150’s and have never been back, no matter how hard I have tried. So I will see how long I can continue with the total cleanse. I really didn’t put a timeframe on it when I started.
This is just so easy - I am such an all-or-nothing kind of person anyway. Good luck to you. Apparently I was looking for someone to share with,
too. : )
Love and luck!!
November 12th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Thanks for the tips Sunny and Helen, day one and all is good! I actually missed the taste of the lemonade and am finding it easier to drink despite the cayenne kick. I like the fact that I don’t have to stress over what I’m having for lunch here at work and at home on a daily basis, it’s all in my yummy bottle of organic lemonade!! ~:0P
Added syrup to my smooth move tea last night, wasn’t too bad just tasted a little thicker and “oily”, may do the swf tonight, if not early in the A.M.
MsCam: Sunny is right about the SWF, after a while you get to know how your body reacts to it and you shouldn’t have any trouble scheduling your day around it. After I do mine I normally only need to be on bathroom “stanby” for 2 hours at the very most, after that it’s smooth sailing. Hope that helps. Thanks again girls!! til tomorrow…
November 12th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I am on day 2 of cleanse and only movement is diareha and water. Is this normal? I was just wondering if I keep going if things would pass normally. Has anyone else had this experience?
November 12th, 2008 at 2:18 pm
I am on day 2, feel weak and tired. I have not been using the tea because I don’t want any unexpected accidents at work and hate laxitives because they make my stomach hurt. I am doing the swf tho. Will it still be effective without the tea?
I have another question… I work out everyday and walk 5 miles a day and do weights every other. Is it ok to still do my workouts like I normally do while on this cleanse? I’m sure that is part of the reason I feel so tired, I worked out last night and I work as a housekeeper. Should I feel like this for the first 3 days and then get my burst of energy after that? Or should I cut out the cardio in my workout until I am done with the cleanse??
Someone help me with some advice!?!?!
November 12th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Beck, from what I have experienced the first 2 to 3 days you will feel a little weak and tired and have a headache, if you can push past that you actually should feel a surge of energy past day 4. Most people stayed active throughout this cleanse it may just be the first few that will be a little tiresome… hope this helps.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Day 2 and still going!!! Not quite as hard as I thought it was going to be. struggled with the SWF but I did get through it. I convinced a friend to try the diet with me and whenever one of us feel hungry we call each other for suport and advice. The only way I can get through the tea is by holding my nose and gulping it down pretty fast. Can’t smell it that way! LOL I’m not sure how much weight I have lost because I don’t have a scale but I hope its going to be worth all the torture. As far as b/m day onw wasn’t to bad but today I have been going several times for b/m and they all seem to be watery.Hopefully tomorrow won’t be as bad no headaches though.
November 12th, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Thanx for the advice aydee.. just finished gulping my swf, ick.. I felt like I was in a chugging contest.. Anyways I hope you are right and I get that spurt of energy in a few days..
I wish I could take my vitamins, I feel like thats why I feel so sluggish now, I took b complex, green tea extract, cla, 5htp and lysine.. I think my system might be pissed and wants its vitamins!!
Is anyone still taking their vitamins, or meds while on the cleanse??
November 12th, 2008 at 6:49 pm
Wait a minute! Don’t you have to drink the SWF in the morning? I see Beck just posted…having finished the salt cocktail this evening. Please advise…morning, or can I choose another time of day? And, Beck, although I’ve not started yet, I too am hesitant to give up my vitamins and calcium.
I just completed my shopping - SHEESH! Do you know how many brands are out there - between the lax. tea, the sea salt, the syrup….I finally just shut my eyes and picked one! If anyone has a tried and true rec. on brands of tea or maple syrup, please advise!
Sunny - you are a joy! Who knows, perhaps we are sisters separated at birth! And a VERY happy early b-day to you! I love my age! Who ever thought it would be this much fun! Of course, as Oprah says…50 is the new 30 (or is it the other way around?)
As for the tea - will it be sweet or can I add sweet and lo to it? (I think I know the answer to that one!) Aydee, what syrup did you use? I had to chuckle at your comment about lunch - my thoughts exactly! And, besides that, look at the money we’re saving by not going out to lunch!! All the more $$$ for our great new wardrobe, right?!
The more I read the more I think I’m glad I chose the weekend to begin!
November 12th, 2008 at 9:57 pm
Wow… okay I am going to try it. I just really really hope I don’t have to run to the potty.
And THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone for writing… your comments were my inspiration….
November 12th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Hi Everyone,
Just a little input. I am on day 19 of the MC. It is my first time. I had heard about it many years ago when my Mom was on it. I initially was going to do 10 days, but on day 10 I felt so good, I wanted to keep going. My advice to anyone doing the cleanse is if you are consuming any caffeine, please ramp down prior to starting. Day 2 I had the worst headache ever, and this was because I was drinking green tea, so caffeine addicts beware! So, what everyone says is true, the first three days are the hardest; it gets better so hang in there.
I noticed one post where the person was going to skip the senna tea for 2 days…I don’t think it’s a good idea to keep all those toxins in your body. I guess if you can do the seasalt flush 2x a day and still have 3 movements per day it is fine.
So many people had problems with the SWF. I wonder if the kind of salt you are using is making a difference. The best is pure, uniodized sea salt. Some sea salts have added ingredients to stop them from caking…and you can taste the difference. Get the pure rock sea salts…it’s more expensive, but tastes way better and is better for you because of the natural mineral content. Trader Joe’s also has this for a good price. Be sure to use 2 tsp, not Tbs.
I found very good maple syrup at Trader Joe’s..they have organic, but I used the regular as well. It was the best buy I could find. I noticed a taste difference in the syrup packed in a plastic vs. glass bottle…I could taste the plastic(side effect of cleanse is sharper nose and palate).
Regarding Agave…I don’t know. I ran out of syrup and found agave much cheaper, so decided to try it. Blue Organic Agave…well this was day 16 and things were running smoothly. The first glass down, I had a mild burning feeling in my throat, but just let it go. About 3 hours later, I thought I was going to have a movement, but I was gas, and lots of it…this lasted until the next day. The only other thing I did differently that day was change the kind of lemons(meyer) I was using. So was it the Agave or the lemons? I don’t know, I just went right back to the maple syrup and have been fantastic since then.
I was able to find a really great laxative tea with senna at the local Asian market called Ultra Slim by Triple Leaf Tea Co. It tastes better than Smooth Move, and seems just as effective and more gentle.
I feel amazing! My mind is very clear, my eyes bright, my attitude adjusted, my concentration is noticeably improved…almost intense. I have been doing walking but no very intense exercise. I think it is up to how you feel. Don’t overdo it. That’s all I can think of right now. I lost about 13 pounds and lots of inches…fitting into those skinny jeans again.
Wondering if anyone has any clue about how to boost my metabolism now that I will be coming off the diet?
Good luck to everyone!
November 13th, 2008 at 8:49 am
Day two and feeling great! woke up already with my surge of energy (and it is only day 2!) my normal jeans fit perfectly out of the dryer, that is reassuring, hopefully next time they will fit loosely just out of the dryer!
My first couple of times trying out the cleanse were definitely “trial run”. It is better this time because I know what to expect. I never noticed the white coating on my tongue the last time I did this, weird!
Beck, I am still taking my vitamins and medication, hasn’t changed the effect from the cleanse at all, honestly if you plan on not taking them I would suggest weaning yourself off slowly… no sense traumatizing your body like that… that’s just me though. I feel as long as you are following the cleanse with everything else that you need to do, you should be cool.
MsCam, I use the syrup that is in the picture in this article, the 365 organic maple syrup grade B. In fact, I picked up the same name brand sea salt and tea as in the picture, bought them at whole foods. I changed up from that tea to the chocolate of the same brand, for a change in taste.
Evie1234, the cleanse should give you a pretty good boost of energy if you allow your body to settle into it for a couple days, I found that I don’t feel the need to take any of my “diet pills” for my metabolism boost.
Ok, so far so good, ya’ll hang in there and feel the energy and purity that is to come! Love and Luck!!
November 13th, 2008 at 11:27 am
Aydee, many thanks to you, and everyone, for the advice - I learn from each and every posting!
I am looking forward to starting the Cleanse tomorrow night, however, what I was just shocked to discover - Thanksgiving is right around the corner! I had planned on staying on the Cleanse for 14 days but never took approaching holidays into consideration. How critical is it to come off the diet slowly? If I stay on the program for 10 days, that would still give me three before the actual holiday. Would small helpings of “real” food be hurtful by that time?
I can’t tell you how I am looking forward to the energy boost plus getting rid of all those poisonous toxins. What a great early Christmas present to myself - and my family!
November 13th, 2008 at 11:54 am
MsCam, I think three days should be good for getting off… orage juice, broth and low sodium, light soup (home made even better).
November 13th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Hurray!! Everyone here is so amazing!
Cam, I think you will be happy if you do 10 days, then give yourself 3 days to slowly readjust to solids, then Thanksgiving! And after that, all of December seems just crazy, so it will be great to have done it before. You also asked about doing the SWF at night - I have heard people say they do - I think the point of in the morning is that you do it on an empty stomach. I find that everything is going straight thru me anyway, so again, you will probably need to find the best thing for you. If it works at night - meaning you have elimination very soon after drinking it - I don’t see why it wouldn’t be okay.
Evie, 20 days for you? Yahoo!! Thanks for all the great advice and answers to so many questions. Are you going longer?
Well, that 160 barrier has been broken and I swear to God I will never go up past it again. (I know, never say never - but I am feeling pretty good right now). 159.8 this morning. Made me so motivated that I did the SWF, which I have not been doing religiously because it doesn’t seem to be right for my body. However, I am not trying to encourage anyone else to cheat - most people follow it to the T and think that is the only way it should be done.
IBS Cleanser - you asked about elimination - which I try hard not to get into, however, I think it is important that we all know that we came to this with different bodies, different health levels, different ages, diets, etc. and it may be different for everyone. I personally don’t believe that everyone has a ton of junk built up in their colon that needs to be forcefully loosened and eliminated. However, this is coming from someone (me) who is as regular as clockwork and has never had stomach/colon/bowel issues. Someone else may be totally different and eliminate different stuff either more or fewer times a day. That doesn’t mean that sharing isn’t good (it’s great) but I think we need to realize that that part of the experience may not be the same for everyone.
Love and luck to all of you sweethearts - keep checking in - I love to hear how everyone is doing.
BTW, I am not the best MCer by far. I am thinking about going off for the weekend again and then back on Mon. It worked well for me last week, I didn’t eat anything really naughty, just some fruits and veggies (oh, and sushi - what is it about sushi? - I can’t get it off my brain). Anyway, I know I don’t get the same benefits as staying on for an extended period of time (10 days minimum, right?) and at some future moment I may have the desire (and willpower) to go longer, just not right now.
More love, more luck, light, joy, peace to all….
November 13th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
well, here i go again! this is my 2nd time doing this cleanse… i really like it the first time… but I slipped back into my old ways of eating somewhat crappy foods… so, I’d like to lose a bit more weight and get healthy before the holidays…
i’m planning on going a full 2 weeks… but we’ll see…
the last time I ‘cleansed’ i did it for 11 days, and took an extra 2 days to work myself back into eating normal solid foods…
as long as I’m able to finish in time to be ready to eat an awesome (but small) thanksgiving dinner.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:09 pm
MSCAM:
I”ll be ending right abouts when you’re ending…
FOR THANKSGIVING, THIS IS WHAT I’LL BE DOING:
Monday the 24th: last day of cleanse
Tuesday the 25th: drink only orange juice (and sips of water)
Wednesday 26th: drink oj in the morning, veggie broth for lunch, and veggies for dinner…
Thursday (thanksgiving day): eat veggies all day (and water!) and then a light, yet super-yummy and filling, thanksgiving dinner.
November 13th, 2008 at 4:52 pm
I am on day 2 of the cleanse….its pretty hard for me right now. I am at work and struggeling to concentrate and get my work done. I keep thinking about food….I want to eat it, I want to chew…..but I am going to stay strong and get through it. I have done a 10 fast (nothing but water) which was much harder- at least when I get faint on this cleanse I can have some lemonade to sooth the pain. The first three days are definitely the hardest….once I make it through tomorrow, I should be home free. Its tough though, I am not going to lie…its very hard and my energy is super low right now. Although, this morning I woke up and threw the ball with my dog for 30 minutes (which I never do in the mornings). I am an avid jogger and I have missed my long runs the last couple of days- I hope to resume tonight or tomorrow. Good luck to anyone trying….like a bunch of you, I am lokoing forward to that Thanksgiving meal next week!!! YUM!
November 13th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Not too much to really say here… I’m on day 4 and down 7 lbs (YES!!!). I’ve been a little tired the last 2 days, but I’ve been working more than usual. I’m not having any problems getting the swf down… the lemon drink is good, but the chocolate smooth move tastes like dirt! I think I’m going to try adding just a tad maple syrup to it tonight and see what that’s like. I’m finding that I’m hungrier in the evenings than any other time. Anyone else feeling that way?
Helen. :0)
November 13th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Well, I am all done and back to solid food now for 2 days. The last days of the cleanse were a piece of cake. I wasn’t hungry or wanting food at all. So far I’ve been drinking orange juice and I made really yummy vegetable soup, so pretty much sticking to the ideal plan. Tomorrow i’ll move on to brown rice, but i’ll keep it simple. It’s been funny. I haven’t felt hungry at all. One glass of orange juice keeps me going for hours and I felt so so full after a bowl of soup! Eating has lost its magic =P and I think thats a great thing. There is really no reason to idealize food. Its supposed to be a source of vitamins and nutrients, not a source of comfort. Haven’t had any BM’s since ending, but that’s to be expected.
Good luck detoxing everyone! I hope you all make yourselves proud with your choices.
~Natalya
November 14th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Thank you, Natalya! As helpful as these postings have been, the website you shared contains a concise, organized list of questions and answers - and answers to questiions I hadn’t even thought of asking!
Congratulations on achieving your goal and thank you again for being such an inspiration!
mscam
November 14th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Hello all. I am currently on day 4. This will be my first weekend!! I have NOT done the SWF every morning. I tried it once, and its a no go. Or shall I say- GOOD GO!! :0) hehe
I just cant do it during the work week, I am a nanny for 1 yr old twins! So even though I am close to the restroom, I cant be in there as much as I was on Tuesday(day1- and luckily a day off!!).
I plan on doing the SWF on Saterday and Sunday, since I really dont have to go anywhere. I drink the smooth move tea at night and in the morning. I also have had to get up in the night, or early morning, between 4 & 500am, to use the restroom. Then in the am about 2 hours after that wake up cup.
I have modified my plan a bit, by taking acai berry softgels. THEY WORK GREAT FOR ENERGY!!! I went to the gym on day 2 and 3! I even had a better workout than every other time before!!
I havent had any food at all. Just the lemonade. I have had sugar free hard candies. Like when making lunch for the twins,(its so hard not to ‘pick’ at there finger foods!!), or while making dinner for the family.
My favorite are the Wethers originals caramel coffee, ALL SUGAR FREE!!!
So I know its not exactly how the book reads, but its working for me. I had been stuck at 165-167lbs for awhile. This morning I weighted in at 158!!!
I FINIALLY hit the ’50s!!
Thanks to all for reading, writing, and inspiring. I hope my words can do the same.
Tami
November 14th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Hi Helen,
So we are on the same schedule. My smooth move tea isnt chocolate flavored. It is yummy at first, but the after taste in black licorice. Thats the hardest part for me. Check out the grocery store or GNC for the regular smooth move.
I find that I am hungry when I smell food. Like while making dinner and such.
Above I wrote about the sugar free candies. They really help me alot, and I limit myself to 4 a day, which is less than a serving (5 per serving). And 5 have 40 calories.
I hope that may be able to help with your night time hunger.
Keep up the great work!!
Tami
November 14th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I am on day 3…I had some crazy drems last night about breaking the detox- I started eating and when I woke up I was so happy that it was a dream and I was still in control. I felt amazing this morning! I had great energy I felt light and consious. It can be hard to be at work and see what everyone is cooking and when people ask me out to lunch….but I find it rewarding to see how much they are all eating and what kind of control I am able to have. I am experienceing some hunger right now, but this is the first of the day for me. Its been hard for me to drink 6 cups of the lemonade- I am probably only consuming about 4 in day….I wonder how this will affect me. I don’t think the SWF is too bad, but I am expecting it to get worse….my friend says that the bowel movement gets faster and faster with each day. I find it refeshing. I thought I would have a harder time sleeping at night, but it hasn’t been that bad. I don’t own a scale, but I assume I am losing some weight. Its kind of fun to have a secret like this too….I don’t tell people because I don’t want the judgement…I have fasted before and people have a really hard time understanding why someone would do that….I find it interesting that they don’t question the people downing big macs and french fries at lunch, but me chosing to detox my body is SOOOO unhealthy- seriously??? So bizzare!! Anyhow, its been an interesting 3 days, I am looking forward to the weekend and being able to just rest and not have to work. I made plans last night, so I have resumed with my normal workouts, but considering as of last weekend I was comfortably able to run 8 miles, I would like to integrate that back in this weekend so I do not lose my stamina. I will keep everyone posted on my porgress….its a nice distraction to write about it when my stomach starts growling at me and its nice to know that someone out there is going through the same thing!!! =)
November 14th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
Today was my first day of the cleanse. I had a hard time with the tea last night - pretty much had to gag it down and I’m a BIG tea lover. The SWF was also difficult for me this morning. I tried chugging it down but that definitely did not work. It took me almost 20 minutes to down the entire quart. I didn’t experience the rapid evacuation that others have talked about - I’m guessing that things will speed up as I continue with the cleanse. And the lemonade. Oh my, the taste is pretty awful. I’m hoping that will get better as I go on, that I’ll get used to it. I’m not mixing the cayenne pepper into the lemonade, I’m taking the cayenne pills each time I drink the lemonade. I haven’t really experienced much hunger today which is great and I hope that I’m able to “power through” the unpleasant tastes to make this cleanse work for me.
November 14th, 2008 at 10:30 pm
I read previously on this post that you should NOT replace the cayenne powder with the cayene pills because the gelatin that the capsule is made from taxes your body to do more processing, the goal is to give your body a break from processing anything other thing elses other than the gunk in your body that so desperately needs to be flushed. Your choice to use the capsules could severely impact the overall success of your cleanse. As a fellow cleanser, I wanted to ensure your had the benefit of this info. Good Luck!
November 15th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
Day 2 for me and down 3 pounds! The tea wasn’t as bad last night and today has been much easier for me - I wasn’t gagging. This morning I made myself a salt water shot followed by a water chaser, a one quart water chaser but I was able to get the SW down this way and it worked within the hour. I haven’t been hungry at all today though and didn’t drink my first lemonade until almost 3:30 and I had another about 20 minutes ago (7:15ish). I’m not trying not to drink it, I’m just not hungry - is this a bad thing? I’ve even been okay with cooking for my family and driving by our favorite restaurants.
November 15th, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Day 5 for me!! I am so happy I dont have to go through 2 weekends! My family, mostly my hubby, is really trying to help me stay to it as well!!
I went hiking today! So if anyone says you have no energy, I dont know what they are talking about. I have also been to the gym everyday this week.
At the top of our hike today, I had a banana, 8 pistocios, and water. It felt great, and I was accually full.
Also- last night I was getting feet done, and all my calluses are gone!! My feet are soft and smooth and pink and so pretty! Before I had the worst feet of all my friends! (I used to be army,so thats why I had them,….) anyway- they are all cleaned up know! My husband even noticed.
Anyway- I have been have stomach pains in the night. Like 3 or so, I wake up with a stomach ache. It is high in my belly, not my intestines. Does this happen to anyone else?? I am still doing the tea in the am, and at night. I did a SWF earlier this evening as well.
My weight is sorta weird these past 2 days. I am still at 158, and I dont know why it isn’t decreasing steadily. Anyone have any advice??
Well- I hope everyone else is having a great weekend as well.
Keep up the great work!!
Tami
November 16th, 2008 at 11:54 am
Day three and down 3 more pounds - that’s 6 pounds total. Still not hungry today and haven’t had any lemonade yet. I did drink one more glass yesterday (for a total of 3) but I find that I am just not hungry. I have had a headache today, don’t know if that’s due to the cleanse or just a headache.
November 16th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I was on my day 8 yesterday and my period came. OMG, I had the worst cramp EVER! So I decided to eat breakfast and an hour later the pain went away. So now, I have to start my day 8 again today.
November 16th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Hello All. I have just gotten home from purchasing all of the ingredients for the cleanse. I did not however get any of the salt. I have the book and thought maybe it was just another suggestion, other than doing the tea. Please let me know if I have to get it because I will! Tonight I will start by drinking my tea. I am very excited to start the cleanse. I have already planned on making soup to eat during thanksgiving. I will keep everyone updated!
November 17th, 2008 at 12:21 am
I am getting ready to start this today. I am currently 232 lbs and have a 46″ waist.
I am doing it for the weight loss and detox.
I am currently in the Navy deployed to Afghanistan and have totally let my self go. I am way overweight, and I constantly feel tired, sick, and seem to alwways have headaches.
I have never really posted things on a site before but after reading some of the other post was inspired. Who knows? Maybe it will help me stay on track if I know others are reading about how I am doing.
Well, I am off to the (DFAC) dining facility.
Good luck to everyone else doing this.
Larry
November 17th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Hi Cleansing Friends (Old and New),
Ah, Monday, and a new week of Master Cleansing for me. I expect that this will be my last week for the year.
When I went off of the fast last weekend, I was very surprised that I did not have the really intense cravings of the weekend before. I was happy to eat what was available and not feel like I had to hurry and eat all of the things I wanted which are “forbidden” on the cleanse.
Anyway, holding strong with the weight loss. I will give you an update later this week. I plan to cleanse for 7 more days and go off next Monday when my parents arrive for Thanksgiving week. I just wouldn’t enjoy staying on while I have a house full of guests to cook for.
I am very happy with my results so far. Other than catching a nasty cold last weekend, I am feeling great.
Cam, did you start?
Tami, if you are eating anything not on the cleanse (pistachios, bananas) you will probably not see as much weight loss and are not technically “cleansing”. No judgement here, I am technically not cleansing either since I choose to go off the cleanse on the weekends. Just trying to answer your question.
For those of you who really don’t like the Smooth Move tea, I noticed last night that I use a huge mug that holds 16 oz. of water, so it is pretty diluted, maybe that is why I don’t mind it. I also noticed that at first I would get some cramping from the tea, but that doesn’t really happen anymore.
Also, some of you say the tea doesn’t work. I reread the directions last night and it says to make sure you are steeping the tea for 10-15 minutes and then gently squeezing the remaining liquid out of the teabag to be sure you are getting all of the cleansing benefits.
Love and luck to everyone.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Hi,
It’s my first day - and I have not had the salt water yet since I am really challenged in the morning (one of the reasons I am doing this is because I need 3 alarm clocks and a phone call to get out of bed). Is it okay to do the salt water at night? I’ve read through the comments, but didn’t see that question answered (brain fog and inability to focus and see straight are other big health issues)? If I do this I want to do it right so can someone please advise? Thank you!
November 17th, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Hi Chaz,
I’ve read on some sites that some people do the SWF at night. I think if it works for you at night, that shouldn’t be a problem.
The reason that morning is recommended, however, is that it is important to have the right ratio of salt to water and that is most easily achieved on an empty stomach.
You may mix the salt water at night and let it sit so that all you need to do in the morning is drink it, but then you want to allow yourself about an hour at least to be close to the bathroom.
Good luck. Let us know how it goes. : 0
November 17th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
I am on day 6….today was a challenging for me…I was on the road with coworkers for my job and of course everyone had to stop to get lunch…it was difficult to sit in Olive Garden and drink peppermint tea while everyone ate. I am not really craving food, but I feel like my bosy needs it. My energy was pretty low today and my fuse was short. I am really dreading this week….I can’t wait until I reach my goal on Friday and I can drink some OJ. I am looking forward to making the soup over the weekend. I know I have lost weight and it feels good, I am just worried it will come back fast. I miss my long jogs…I am doing short ones, but don’t feel that I have the energy for long ones.
Does anyone know why we drink maple syrup with the lemonade? What’s the purpose? Just curious- hope someone can answer….
I have 4 more days- I am not worried whether or not I will make it, I am just worried about how painful it is going to be. Words of encouragement are appreciated! Thanks and good luck to everyone who is doing the cleanse…
Oh, and does anyone find themselves dreaming about food….I have a dream every night about eating or someone tricking me into breaking my goal..is that a sign I wonder….lol =)
November 18th, 2008 at 12:40 am
Hello ABShaffer,
I on on day 6 also and we must be twins b/c your day described sounded exactly like mine was on Saturday….I had a meeting for church over at our Pastor’s house and they cooked a down home southern breakfast and I sat and watched everyone eat and drank my lemonade. I only get hungry at night now and I think it is more psychological than anything. I have been pretty short with my husband today and he made me mad about something I do not even remember now and I was giving him the silent treatment which he absolutely hates. I am so looking forward to Friday….I think I am going to do the OJ in the morning, but eat some vegetables or salad for lunch and see how it goes.
The maple syrup is for nutrients and I think to regulate your blood sugar. I am going from memory, I have the MC book somewhere around there.
Hang in there, we can do this…..I have noticed my love handles have subsided somewhat. I do not do the SWF anymore as I am having the BMs so did not feel the need to do it any longer, plus I felt like I was retaining the water….noticed a change when I stopped doing it……just doing the laxative tea in the mornings and at night now.
Also, I had a dream about eating food on Saturday and was so relieved when I woke up and it was only a dream. I was so disappointed in my dream that I had eaten something.
Does anyone know when the tongue is supposed to get pink, mine looks downright disgusting right now and I am so self conscious that I have Bad Breath. I have a field trip at my daughter’s school tomorrow and I am worried that I will be emitting toxins from my skin and mouth. I have been drinking the mint tea, but not sure if I will have the time to do it tomorrow. Any suggestions on what we can use to ensure we do not have dragon breath around other folk?
November 18th, 2008 at 1:10 am
Well here I am on my 2nd day, and I am feeling so horrible.
I am in the Navy on a IA billet with the Army. My current job is detainee operations. I am around several hundred detainees on a regular basis and last week had gotten pretty sick, (typical cold/flu symptoms, only worse.)
It seems that I am getting it again. I don’t know about doing this while sick like this, but for now I will continue.
I will go to the doctors today and will more than likely be prescribed antibiotics. (I hope this will have no negative impact on my cleanse.)
I was not able to do anything but go to bed after work this morning. I have only had a few hours sleep but could not fall back asleep. So I am on here.
The SWF will have to wait as I am also pretty queasy. (I did take the smooth moves tea this morning.)
Making the tea is a pain in the butt. My wife mailed me all the syrup and cayenne pepper I will need, but the only place to get lemons is at the DFAC. They only have lemons pre cut for tea, so I feel a little silly going and filling a to-go tray with lemon wedges to take back to my B-hut so I can make my tea.
I guess that is all for now. Thanks for letting me throw my unorganized/rambling thoughts on here.
Good Luck to everyone
November 18th, 2008 at 6:50 am
Hello All,
It is the morning of day 2 of the cleanse for me. Yesterday evening I felt extremely hungry in the evening. I had visions of stopping at the sushi bar down the street…but did not! Also, the tea cause very bad cramps and sweating for me last night. It was not a good feeling at all! I wonder if anyone has any suggestions for the cramps? I will be getting the salt water today. Right now I have been doing the tea at night and in the morning. Since everyone has stated you need to be close to a bathroom after the SWF, I thought it best to try it on my day off to see how my body reacts. I also needed to know if anyone presqueezes there lemon juice. I presqueezed enough for the entire day to have available at work. Wish me luck for Day 2!MIND OVER MATTER!
November 18th, 2008 at 8:26 am
Sunny….it’s WAY partly cloudy over here!
Yes, I started Friday night - determined to see it thru. I can handle the tea, it’s the lemonade that’s killin’ me! Not sure if it’s the brand of maple syrup (I made sure to buy one in a glass bottle) or the paprika (durn it’s hot!) but, have found the lemonade to be more of an issue for me than either the tea or the SWF! (I read at the site Tami suggested to pretend it’s broth - so I put it in a dark, insulated mug and did just that!). I really thought I was going to hang in there but cratered last night and had broccoli cheese soup from Panera! Does the paprika ever completely dissolve?
Maybe I need to experiment with my lemonade mix, brand of maple syrup or paprika, not sure! I am down a couple of pounds - at first it was 5 lbs., which must have been primarily water, but today it seems to be closer to 2.5. I brought yougart for lunch today (and baby carrots) but I’ll try to get back on the program tonight! And, yes, Sunny…..a Diet Dr. Pepper!
Larry, the best of luck to you - can’t imagine trying this away from home! And, God Bless you for the sacrafices you are making for our country.
Good luck to all!
cam
November 18th, 2008 at 9:04 am
Hey Larry, welcome aboard! Good luck staying focused. Can your wife send you lemons? they should keep for several day, I know mine do. My husband bought me 5 dollars worth of lemons at Aldi this week end and was actually able to bring me 10 lemons… pretty cool, seems to be the store where one can get them cheapest. Also, ya’ll are not going to believe this but I squeezed 12 tablespoons of lemon out of 2 lemons!!! HONEST! My husband picked out the biggest lemons and tried to get the ones with the thinnest skin, they seem to have more juice in them. I couldn’t believe how much juice I squeezed out of them, I actually had a table spoon and 1/2 extra. My secret? I squeeze them by hand BUT the trick is to cut them in half, take as many of the seeds out of course, take a regular spoon (table size) and as I’m holding the half of the lemon over a small bowl, I stab the spoon into the half lemon equally all the way around the half of the lemon making sure I puncture all the little pockets that hold the juice, I do this repeatedly until it is completely drained of all juice. I guess you could say I have developed an art for this, so I don’t mind making my lemonade so much anymore, it takes me roughly 5 to 10 minutes tops. Ok, now that I sound like a complete dork going on and on about how far I was able to stretch a lemon!!… I hope you all are having a great day and feeling very euphoric with the cleanse. Love and Luck! :0) Aydee
November 18th, 2008 at 9:16 am
Sunny, I am right there with you on the week end thing, sister!!… I don’t have internet at home and it would help keep me focused on the cleanse if I had the moral support on the week ends, I did the best I could and still plowed through the week end continuing to do the cleanse… just felt compelled to share this tid bit of info that I am trying to break this pattern. **sigh** ok, feel better now.
November 18th, 2008 at 9:26 pm
Wow! it is the end of day 2 for me. I have drinken one last glass of lemonade for dinner, followed by my herbal tea. I have been up since 8 this morning. Been at work for 9 hours with no break. It is now 15 or so after 11pm and I dont feel tired. I am thinking that I might do one of my workout tapes right quick before bed. I will weigh myself and do measurements on tomorrow. I do have a question for some of our cleanser vets…..I do not do alot of cooking. Can anyone recommend a vegetable soup I could purchase for somewhere..I know that sounds pretty lazy…but if someone could help me with some where i could buy a good soup that follows the guideline or list “a vegetable for dummies recipe” that would be cool too
November 18th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Hello Everyone Guess who is back and who is still on!!!!!!!!!!
Me I cant believe it I am on day 12 well past 12am now so the begining of
day 13. I am full of energy and cant believe I still stuck through this.
I read some of your posts and would like to comment :)
Larry and AbSchaffer: OMG the dreams are crazy for me
I have not had dreams every night like this….so strange
guess I may be sleeping deeper???? ……….I dont know
none about food but just crazy.
MsCam: What is suggested in the book is Cayanne(spelled wrong?)
not Paprika. It would be best to use what is in the book for the best results.
Also it never disolves on my end, I used to prepare the night before.
However if you prepare the glasses as you drink them, it is not as hot.
The longer it sits the hotter. It is recomended not to squeeze the lemons
untill you are ready to drink as the enzmes are diminished.
Aydee: OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes Aldi has the BEST lemons im from the nw burbs of
chicago! I cant tell you how much I cracked up because I have been left
amazed that i got so much juice! I make 30 oz at a time and drink that in like 1 hour. I however use a fork and squeeze first then….poke poke …..squeese
then I leave the fork in there and as i squeeze more comes out.
Check this I got more than 6 table spoons from ONE Lemon!!!!!!!!
Five packs out here for 1.89. Trader Joes has 4or 5 packs for 1.39 BUT A LOT
SMALLER.
Amaris: Some stores even like Jewel have some packs that have the basic ingredients for a soup, in addition you can add others that you like.
oh FYI im down 12lbs in 12 days :) cant express how happy I feel.
Plan to stay on till right before thanksgiving have the oJ….etc.
than go back on DEC 1sth to right before New Years. I HOPE!
Anyone think it would be too soon to try it again???????? Let me know
LILI from chicago
November 19th, 2008 at 9:57 am
ABSHAFFER,
I was wondering about the purpose of the maple syrup today myself. One of my employees had suggested that it is a filler just to make you feel full. However, in the book it states that the syrup has a large variety of minerals and vitamins. It states that the avarage sample of pure maple syrup has sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, manganes, iron, copper, phosphorus, sulfur and calcium. Along with, vitamin a, b1,b2,b6, c and b5. Now with that being said, I am now reading my nutrition label on the back of my “combs family farms syrup” and it only shows calcium and iron. Either way..it is day 3 for me. I woke up promotly at 6am…(I usually do not do this, especially since it is my day off!!)I feel energized. I had my tea this morning, and took a look at the scales…lbs are dropping already(might just be water weight, but thats cool)….My tongue looks nice and disgusting. I will prob pick up some mint tea today. good luck to all and thanks lilichicago for the soup recommendation!
November 19th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Thank you, Lili! And, sure enough, I mis-typed! I bought cayenne - not paprika. Red and hot - and my brain being fried from a LONG (already!) week, I indicated the wrong spice. Glad to know yours doesn’t dissolve, though - that was really bugging me! Of course I also wonder if I’m adding too much….
And, yes, I also read that the longer the cayenne sits, the hotter it gets so, don’t mix it the night before.
What I have done is mix up those tiny snack size ziploc containers with enough lemonade and maple syrup for one serving (4 at a time) then, I simply add the water and the cayenne as needed.
Also, thanks for the squeezing tips! Guess I need to toss my old fashioned juice squeezer. Sure wish I could get some Chicago lemons - I thought things always grew bigger in TEXAS, not Shy-town - ha!
Hugs and a happy week to you all!
cam
November 19th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
LiliChicago**I knew we had more in common than the MC… I too am from Illinois, HOLLA! living in KC now though (long story) but I had “ILNOIS1″ put on my new KS plates, HA! I still consider Illinois home, lived there all my life, Peoria, Bloomington and the Quad City area (Dav, IA)… so yes, midwest fo sho! ;0) I’m glad I wasn’t the only one excited about finding a cheap lemon!!
CONGRATS ON YOUR 12 LBS. You go with your bad self! OK?! I’m still dealing with some weekend discipline issues… anywho I’m on week one, the longest I stayed on w/out food was 7 days the first week of September. **sigh**
So I have to give props to everyone that has had more will power than me, keep up the good work and bottoms up! (:0P) <<<me sideways.
November 19th, 2008 at 4:07 pm
I stopped on my 8th day b/c of my period and I can’t get back! I’m having a hard time. I’ll be in it in the morning, but I end up eating dinner. I need to get motivated again! This is hard
November 19th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Hi All,
I have a Question, if some one could help me out it wud be great.
I started with the Master cleanser n went on successfully for 4 days, n then i could not continue as i was going out of station.I workes nicely n I lost 4 kgs in 4 days n was very happy. During those 4 days, the liquid bowel movements were fine and I could feel that the toxins in my body are getting released. After I was back in town,i started it now and its my third day. I have been doing it all properly but there is no result n there r no liquid bowel movements at all. I have been taking the laxative tea and having the quart of salt water in the morning, but still no boel movements. I am really worried about it. Is this ok, can anyone help me out please???
Thanks,
Liya
November 19th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Well, I am on day 8 and still going strong. I have to say that I am ready to eat again….its not so much hunger, but the social aspect of eating that I miss. I am doing field work all week and of course my corworkers all go to lunch promptly at noon and since I am not eating, I just sit in the car and read as not to torture myself with the smells. Oh well, 2 days to go. I do feel pretty good….my clothes are falling off of me, which is good and bad. I weighed in last night at 123….not sure what I started at, but I am assuming it was about 135 or so…..weird to think that I’ve lost about 10 lbs in a week!!!! If I keep half of that off, I would be happy. I feel like I am going to eat differently when I do start eating again…I don’t really crave the sugary, bad foods like I was before the cleanse….it feels amazing to have this kind of self control. To think to yourself that you have only consumed a very minimal amount of calories in so many days. I have no concern if I will last through the 10 days, I am sooooo close, but I am just hoping these last 2 are not too difficult….almost there!!!! Every night I dream that someone convinces me to break the fast…something comes up and I eat, or I eat forgetting that I am on the cleanse….so silly. I have not been doing the SWF….I have been drinking the tea, but have only had 2 bowel movements in the last couple of days, I hope this is not bad. Does anyone one know if this could be contributing to my fatigue? Thanks and good luck to everyone out there. Glad I have somewhere to write about this!!!!
November 19th, 2008 at 5:50 pm
Raquel, hang in there, you’re not the only one that has had to start over… pick a day that is good for you and try again.
Liya, your body probably started going back to normal digestion for those few days that you were off the cleanse, try and relax and wait for the food to go through your system and “take its course”.
November 19th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
ABShaffer, thanks for sharing that last blog, very encouraging to see such will power. kudos to you. You only have a couple more days to go… lucky you! pretty soon you will get to start on a clean slate!! from what I have read, alot of the people that have done the cleanse have stuck to it for 10 or more days, normally they feel a rush of energy as the days go on, not sure about why you feel tired, do you take vitamins on a regular basis? sleeping enough?? Hope this passes, keep up the good work, you should be proud…
November 19th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Hey all….I’m so excited that I’ve found this site…I’ve made one or two (very pathetic!) attempts at this before but only lasted a day or two at most! Ive put on a crazy amount of weight since being on anti-depressants and am now just about off them and so am really keen to fight my flab! i haven’t managed to read through all of the messages (it’s so awesome that there are so many though!) so I’m not sure if anyone has suggested this, but when I try and eat anything I don’t like I hold my nose as I’m swallowing and for a little while after…I tried it with my last attempt with the salt water and the aftertaste was still a little bad but it was waaaaaay better than doing without holding my nose!!! so give that a go! I really want to stick at it this time- I’m going to start tomorrow all going to plan! everyone is doing so well and you are all honestly so inspiring- keep it up!!
November 19th, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Well here I am into the 4th day. It has not really been hard at all not eating, I went to the doctor and was told I have bronchitus and something else I can’t pronounce. I was given several medicines and they are all making me queesy, (probably because I am taking them on an empty stomach.)
I thought about eating until I was better but then said to heck with it.
I still have not done the SWF and have had mostly water and very little MC drink. But I feel a tiny better and I’m making it as soon as I am done on here.
I have not weighed myself, I have not done much of anything but lay in bed the last 36 hours.
I know I am not doing this according to the book, but I am doing the best that I can right now. The not eating was the part I was worried about and it is going good on that end.
I will start everything else as I get better.
November 19th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
Ooops, still in day 3. I think. well i started on the 17th. I get so confused on days here, and times.
November 20th, 2008 at 10:40 am
I’m trying this, but I’m doing an alternative version. I’m going to replace my breakfast and dinner with the maple syrup/lemon juice concoction, and eat a healthy lunch. I’ve been doing a lot of research, and I don’t feel that it’s safe or healthy to do the regular fast, where you aren’t eating any food at all. I think it’s kind of dangerous… but that’s just my personal opinion.
I’m doing this to lose weight before my birthday in 3 weeks. I’d like to lose about 8 pounds.
I’m on my first day– we’ll see how I do.
November 20th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Hey, Larry…
You never answered my question about wether or not your wife can send you lemons there. Sorry you are not feeling well, if it’s any consolation, I’m not either but for “girlie” reasons :0(
Ugh, going to start over in a few days after this “passes” maybe I will actually complete the full 10 days then. Hopefully we will both be feeling better, hang in there and do what’s best for you until then.. CIAO!
November 20th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Hi Everyone,
Tiffany, I will be very interested to see how your “experiment” works.
I lost 10 lbs. doing the diet for two weeks (but going off on the weekends).
I have been having some thyroid, blood sugar, and MVP (a heart abnormality) health issues and finally got in this week to see an endocrinologist. Not surprisingly to me, he asked me to please stop the cleanse, at least until he can see the results of the blood tests he ordered.
So, this week I have been dabbling, some days staying on all day, some days eating what I want, some days drinking the lemon drink until dinner and eating a small portion of dinner with my family. Anyway, the ten pounds has stayed off, I am steady at 157 every morning and I am thrilled.
Tiffany, I will be very curious to see if you lose weight only eating one meal a day. (I have read on some other websites that some people continue to lose weight after the cleanse, by following that plan.)
I am looking forward to getting the results from the Dr. Part of the reason I went on the cleanse in the first place was that I knew that the weight loss itself would be a health benefit to me.
I will continue to listen to my body and make healthy food choices when I do eat and try to fit some exercise (I love to walk) into my schedule EVERY day.
It has been so great to meet everyone here and I will probably continue to check in on everyone’s progress. I am hoping that as soon as I have a clean bill of health I will be able to do a 10 day cleanse. Maybe after the first of the year.
Love and luck to all of you beautiful people.
Sunny
November 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
hi all!! It is the end of day 4 for me. I am very exhausted. When it is time for bed I seem to not be sleepy. I finally fall asleep and wake up early. Today it has caught up with me and I am exhausted. I heard someone mention of having lots of, in an earlier post. For some reason, that is happening to me also. Other than the lack of sleep, the cleanse is working good for me. I am starting a new job and I am thinking that most of me being woke all night has to do with that. It looks like I have lost from 6-8 lbs so far. I am excited about making a “food life stlyle change” after my 10 days is up. It is going to be hard not to eat the goodies at Thanksgiving, but it will be my first hard experience of its kind. So, I am looking forward to it! ttyl! Good Luck to everyone just starting and feel better for those who are feeling bad!
November 20th, 2008 at 9:32 pm
sorry…misprint in my post.I should have typed…having lots of dreams….
November 21st, 2008 at 12:04 pm
Well, day 10 for me!!!! I am not sure how feel about going off….I have mixed feelings. I have missed food , but I have also become so accustomed to just drinking my lemonade and tea….through all of the pain I have enjoyed the experience and feel almost scared to start eating again! It just goes to show how our bodies get used to routine….if we eat alot that’s wht they become accustomed to, if we stop eating, we also get used to that…
I bought some organic juice and will probably start drinking it at some point today.
I wanted to write about my experience a little to help others….tell you about things I experienced and so on….hopefully it will encourage people….I will share when I have more time.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Hi Sparkle,
Sorry….I just saw your messa