Whether losing weight was or wasn’t one of your New Year resolution I’m sure you won’t be surprised to learn that it’s the most common one.. My friend Andrea just finished doing a 10 day Master Cleanse (some people do it for as much as 45 days!). It involves drinking a concoction made from fresh lemon or lime juice, maple syrup, water and Cayenne pepper and THAT’S IT! After 5 days Andrea was already feeling too weak to leave her apartment though she said her mind was very sharp and she was getting a lot of work done. After 10 days she said she was so weak (she lost 8lbs), that she almost felt sick breaking the pseudo-fast with soup — you eat soup for two days then the next day fruit/vegetables, slowly but surely adding more solid food each day. She also had trouble sleeping the last few days of her diet (sleeping only about 3-4 hours a night!). Sounds crazy to me! And with my weak stomach I could see myself getting sick from the concoction alone. Less severe is the BluePrint Cleanse. A number of my friends swear by this when they’re looking to lose some lbs for a special event. You choose your cleanse based on your diet and exercise habits and they’ll deliver juices for your fast for either 1, 3, 5 or 6 days. On average, based on my girlfriends, you loose about 5lbs with the 5 day cleanse and you’ll see your skin clear up. The weight though — you guessed it — comes back when you’re back to your regular diet (inevitable!). More after the Jump!
If giving-up solid food isn’t your thing, Weight Watchers just launched a new program called Momentum focused on tackling physical hunger head-on by helping people identify foods that can keep them satisfied for longer; thus helping them stay in control for long-term, sustainable weight loss. The program supposedly teaches people how to listen to hunger signals, identify triggers of emotional eating, and emphasize the benefits of tracking/journaling. The diet is based on the Points Weight Loss System and incorporates “Filling Foods” that have been proven to help keep people feeling fuller longer because they are low in calories, but contain more water, air or fiber per serving, relative to the food’s weight so they’re low in energy density. Personally while like most I often obsess about my weight, I’ve never been able to stick to a diet. I try to eat as healthy as I can and I get my exercise by walking most everywhere I need to go. That said, I’m dying to try the BluePrint Cleanse, just trying to muster-up the will power! Have you tried any of these diets? Would you go for a liquid cleanse
Wow, these crash diets sound a little extreme to me. A friend in the office here told me about the master cleanse one and she had the same experience…extreme weakness. This is just a starvation diet folks! But whatever floats your boat. For me it’s all about eating healthy and getting exercise at least 3-4 times a week. Call me old fashioned. Sure I may need to visit an Atlanta liposuction surgeon at some point when I’m 40 or whatever to get rid of any lumps and bumps that pop up, but I’ll take a quick surgery any day over serious hunger pains and being lethargic!
I’ve always been afraid to try those cleansing diets and it seems like a waste of time. I really don’t see the point of doing it if you’re going to gain the weight back after you stop using it. Eating right and exercising is always the best and the healthiest way to losing weight.
I think the weight watchers one is the only one that sounds even remotely reasonable. I think if you think of something as a “diet” it won’t stick, because diets are by definition temporary. Reprogramming what you like to eat makes the biggest difference. My partner offered my a Malteser yesterday, and t me it tasted like wax and stale bread. I told him I thought it tasted a little off, but her tried them, and he said thought they were delicious. I was really happy, because I used to love them (it was the biggest candy sacrifice when I started eating healthy). But I have no reason to crave them anymore, because now I don’t like them.
Mind you, you’re probably thinner than me to begin with. But in the last year I’ve dropped from a 14 to an 8, and I’m still losing. Plus, I feel healthier, and I don’t feel like I’m missing out anymore. Of course, I have a healthy friend who helped me out personally, not a book or a corporation, so maybe I had an unfair advantage.
Actually, I think I was a size 12 last January, so that was misleading, sorry. I’ve been doing this for a little over a year, so there ya go.
I definitely agree with everyone the last one is the only one with long term potential and even that is challenging. The first one I would absolutely never consider especially given how weak it made my friend, but the second one I think for a big event is a quick way to shed 3-5lb (and at least it’s somewhat tailored to your habits), if all you’re looking to do is to fit into a hot dress for one specific occasion … as long as you’re totally conscious that the weight will come right back..eating healthy consistently is obviously the way to go, but alas so hard! Against my better judgment I’m writing this as I munch on a cookie with my coffee:)
uugh. “Lose” not “loose.”
uugh. “Lose” not “loose.”
Master cleanses are not healthy and if it doesn’t last, what’s the point.Healthy eating and excercise is the only long term solution.You should be realistic with your weight.Most woman are not naturally a size 4. Look at Oprah.She signed on to something ,she could not maintain ,even with a chef and a trainer, although apparently from what she says, her weight problem is much deeper. She was never meant to be a 10 at her “healthy weight”. She is a big woman.You should allow yourself an occassional treat, to be realistic.Small portions work for some people.