I tried my first cleanse. After my food-filled trip to D.C., I knew I needed to get rid of the feelings of bloat and food hangover that were dragging me down.
Generally, I’m a big fan of the 80/20 food rule
The large portion of my diet is made up of healthy foods- mostly veggies and fruit during the day, a dinner of lean protein like salmon along with some veggies, and every night a sweet treat that makes me ridiculously happy. A few times a week I might go out to dinner or hit up some froyo, but I try to keep those things in check.
Between this, and a daily spin class, I can normally stay within the 5-pound range that keeps me satisfied- with a few indulgences- while still being able to zip my jeans.
However, on vacation, I’m closer to 50/50 on a good day
I think part of the fun of visiting a new place is exploring new foods, enjoying menu options I’d normally steer clear from, and never skipping dessert.
That also means when I get back from vacation it’s time to settle my debts with the Weight Gods
Normally, I do this through smaller portions and keeping meals that would be considered a treat to a minimum, at least for a few weeks, but this time I thought it would be interesting to try a cleanse for the first time.
I chose to make my own juices for the cleanse and followed the plan The Skinny Confidential juice cleanse that is outlined in The Skinny Confidential Book by Lauryn Evarts. Side note: I highly recommend the book. It’s a fun, informative, and easy read.
This cleanse has the recipe for three juices. Each night I would make a juice and then drink it throughout the following day. You can also have a small portion of veggies and 6 ounces of protein, which can be spread throughout the day. But I generally just had an avocado when I got home from work and a small sweet potato for dinner, which means I pretty much skipped the protein.
If you’d like to try a cleanse, but don’t want to prep the juices, many cities have juice bars that offer cleanses. These generally run more than $100 for 3 days.
Making your own juices isn’t hard and it’s much cheaper, but it is time-consuming. Ironically, I had a lot more time after work because dinner took a fraction of the time it normally does.
The first day wasn’t too painful and I was excited to get started anyway
Day 2 was a little more challenging
I started to feel the drag that is to be expected and just a little loopy. No coffee with this cleanse either, so it’s hard to tell if I was experiencing caffeine withdrawals or it was the cleanse. My guess- a little bit of both.
Day 3 was the biggest challenge by far
I was dragging, over it, and so tired. All three days I was also taking my normal 5:30 a.m. spin class, so my energy was pretty sapped. But at this point, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. No giving up!
AND the scale was making me smile.
That, along with clothes fitting easily again, made it worth it.
Ironically I wasn’t hungry the whole time. The smoothies include tons of veggies and some fruit, so I was eating really well. More than anything else, I was just missing the joy of actually eating.
On the day the cleanse was over I weighed less than when I left for vacation. Beyond that, I really did feel so much better. The fusion of veggies, fruits, and getting my hydration levels back to normal made a huge difference.
And there were benefits beyond the scale:
- I felt the bump of confidence you feel when you take on a challenge and see it through;
- I was able to reset my crazy sugar cravings, which were feeling out of control after being unleashed on vacay; and
- I stopped centering everything around food.
By this last point I mean that when I get on overeating kicks, I center everything around food
It’s like I’m always looking for the next meal. “Treats” are my reward for everything from cleaning up the kitchen to making it through a Tuesday. As they say- You’re not a dog, food isn’t your reward. When I start to overeat, food becomes my everything.
The cleanse helped my slow down. Literally, because my body was too tired, and mentally because my brain felt a little mushy, but honestly it was a little refreshing. I felt more present got more sleep, and stopped thinking about when and what I was going to eat next.
So if you are on the fence, I say MOST DEFINITELY try a cleanse. I think 3 days is great. It’s long enough to feel the impact and a bit of the pinch, but not too long where you lose your mind. And maybe you become a little more mindful in the process!
