Yes, I did it. 10 days of the Master Cleanse, nothing but Salt Water Flush (SWF), Herbal Senna Tea and of course...the spicy lemonade mixture. I didn't make it widely known, because there are a lot of judgers out there. So I decided that on my last day, I would write a post to expose my entire experience. It will be a long one folks, but you can read this to know what YOU can expect during the Master Cleanse, the ups and downs, tricks of the trade, mind over matter, all that junk!
First, why?
Well, it was something I tried to start a long time ago, but thought my fiance would think I was crazy, and to be honest, I didn't think I could do it. The challenge didn't become real for me until my fiance told me he wanted to try do this cleanse (from a referral by a friend). My competitive nature kicked in and I started it immediately the next day (many do a 3 day ease-in, I say JUMP!), he is planning his for September.
Obviously, the first attraction was that I wanted to lose weight and it says that you can lose 1-2 pounds a day. If you complete the 10 days, that's 20 pounds. I need to lose 30, so there you have it. The primary goal of this cleanse, however, is not weight loss, it is detoxifying and flushing out your system. *MC Golden rule* If you think of this as a cleanse and NOT a diet, it makes sense and keeps your motivation, trust me. You have to realize that will indefinitely gain some weight back when you begin eating solid food but if you don't eat healthy afterwards, you'll gain it ALL back. It's up to you.* During the process, your mind changes into healthy mode though, you realize what is and what isn't easy to digest and how you want your body to feel.
What you need:
- Grade B Maple Syrup (grade A is okay if you can't find the other, organic is best) - Trader Joe's is the best place to get this, comes in a big bottle $13.99.
- Fresh lemons (*MC Golden Rule* they MUST be fresh, no lemon juice, etc. The enzymes in fresh lemons are most potent for the cleanse)
- Cayenne Pepper
- Herbal Senna Tea
- Herbal Peppermint Tea (as a substitute or something different in your day is okay)
- Sea Salt (I've seen people use the celtic sea salt, I just used the one I had, you SHOULD NOT use Iodized table salt, must be sea salt)
The process
Basically it's 10 days (not 5, not 7, not 9) of fasting with this juice blend. In the morning before you do anything (you'll probably have to wake up earlier than normal) take the salt water flush.
SWF - 24 oz. of distilled/filtered water with 2 teaspoons of sea salt.
Very salty and gross. Just close your eyes and drink it fast. Plan to be around the bathroom for at least 2 hours.
Every time you get hungry, make and drink your lemonade. *MC Golden Rule* - do not pre-mix, if the lemonade sits the enzymes in the lemonade are less effective. I messed this up day 1 and tried to make it for the whole day. It's a no-no.
2 tblsp lemon juice (about half a medium lemon)
2 tblsp maple syrup
Add 8-10 oz. of distilled/filtered water
1/10 tsp cayenne pepper/to taste
Enjoy!
At night before you go to bed, drink the Herbal Senna Tea, which is actually pretty tasty in my opinion. *note* After day 2 I started to get cramps early in the morning from this. If you drink your SWF immediately in the morning the cramps will go away and you can get to 'cleansing' :).
*MC Golden Rule* You should drink plenty of water during the flush, but not more water than lemonade mixture. Not sure why, maybe it dilutes it.*
My Journey on the cleanse train
Day 1 - Day 1 starts off okay and ends with tears (okay, not really). It's hard, by the end of the day you're hungry, okay maybe by lunchtime. Nothing you can really do about this than keep yourself busy. I decided to go workout, I wasn't too weak, since it was only the first day. Only mentally hungry really, oh and heavy white film on my tongue. It's a HARD day.
Day 2 - Whiny. I threatened to quit about 20 times this day, all while persevering. Those SWF really do the trick though, I can definitely feel waste eliminating from my body. I wasn't sure I was going to get past the day, but I just whined a lot and did nothing about it. My tongue is definitely white and dry and gross. I think this was the first day that my fiance ate a big juicy burrito right in front of me. :(
Day 3 - Things are getting easier. With the hunger pains gone, now it was really just all mental. This was the first day that I noticed my sense of smell was heightened. Empty stomach at this point and only liquids coming through. Have been waking up late and going to bed early. Craving EVERYTHING I see.
Day 4 - Much easier today and feeling light, don't feel like I'm losing any weight though. Not exactly energized like some say. Just going through the motions and keeping myself busy with all the tons of work I need to do. Decide to go for yoga and feel like it will be good for my 'hungry' spirit to relax my body for a bit. Feel good but really thirsty afterwards, need to drink more water. This is the first day that I didn't run to get lemonade every couple of hours, actually I don't even think I took all the glasses I was supposed to (at least 6/day).
Day 5 - This was interesting. We went to Santa Monica to workout. I did a light stair workout, was pretty hungry, but kept drinking water. Then rushed home to change for a flower appt. (wedding planning) really hungry. I took some mixture with me because we were going to a birthday party. My senses were on high alert at the Mexican restaurant, but I sat there and had water with lemon, like a good little cleanser should. Got a lot of questions and finally told people about the cleanse, many skeptical and called it the Beyonce diet, which was not my purpose for this. I need more lemonade, but don't have access to ingredients, so I continue with water. Cupcakes, I want birthday cupcakes! :( We went to a club afterwards for a friend's event. I could smell every little last bit of alcohol on B's (my fiance's) body, no good for me that night. Those scents are SO strong, I wonder why we don't sense them normally.
Day 6 - I had a dream about buying two hamburgers, taking a bit and then feeling guilty about it. I woke up confused and realized it was a dream. Feeling pretty light and chipper. We go to yoga on the bluff, I'm pretty hungry, especially since on Day 5, I was NOT able to get to lemonade when I wanted it. I drank water but water is not great after 5 glasses. Today I feel good, getting things done, energized, finally. I was a little disappointed when I weighed myself, only 6 lbs, which means probably closer to 3 lbs. when I'm finished. We'll see how things go. Contemplated quitting this day too.
Day 7 - What a productive day for me. This cleanse is really just normal now. Apart from the occasional desire to chew yummy foods, because I do love food, I'm definitely not hungry. I'm okay for the most part, but keep looking up yummy recipes online, can't wait for Saturday. I feel really light and lifted in my body. I was very focused on my work and was thinking pretty clearly. I could get used to this. I'm now contemplating stretching the cleanse out over the weekend to save me from eating poorly at my brother's place, we'll see. I had a facial appt., my person smelled of garlic, normally I don't think I would notice, it was light, but my smelling has become like a superpower. Great day!
Day 8 - I have been feeling really good today. Got a lot of work and creative thinking done today. Finally feel the energy everyone talks about, got a GREAT workout in today! *MC Golden Rule* Listen to your body when it comes to working out on the cleanse. Some say don't do it. If your body allows it, go with the flow, just don't push yourself or be surprised when you can't really go all out. Be active but not crazy.* I am ready for the cleanse to be over, but I'm fine at the same time. Smelling all kinds of odors on the bodies of others. B reeked of garlic and spices from his carne asada tacos last night. They looked so good, but the aftermath kills me. Every time I see meat now, I think man, that is really hard to break down in the body (guessing that's where the smell comes from). Looks yummy though. I think my tongue is turning pink again, a sign that you body is nearly finished detoxifying.
Day 9 - This morning B looks at me and say's "I think I want French Toast", I was about ready to jump over the couch and punch him. I don't care if I feel good about this cleanse or not, teasing or even discussing french toast (you know the one with Hawaiian bread, coconut milk and vanilla) with me at this point is not a good idea. Today was really bad, yoga was really hard, I just started my womanly time. Cleanse + womanhood = BAD! Just when I thought I was okay. I usually comfort myself with Indian food, but nada and I'm exceptionally hungry, I think its the hormones. I am DEFINITELY quitting on Friday.
Day 10 - So this WOULD be my last day if I wasn't crazy. I have decided that I am stretching it out to Monday which would be 14 days on the cleanse. I have headaches today, but I think its the menses. I feel like weight loss ultimately plateaued very short for me but I feel good, I'm hoping a few more days may bump it up a few pounds. Mostly, I don't want to go visit my family and ruin all the work I've done, so I'll just stay on it for now.*MC Golden Rule* The ease out is a critical part of the cleanse, because it gets you back to normal. After not eating solid food you can't just jump right into it (you'll gail a lot of weight, back). You start with 1 day of OJ and water, 2nd day soups and juices (fresh), 3rd vegetables and then go from there. Afterwards continue a healthy eating and exercise plan. Or in my words, don't ruin the torture you just went through, be good!*
Overall Thoughts: When you see good food when you're on the cleanse, you want it. I wanted it but thought, damn, the work my body goes through digesting that may not be worth it. This cleanse has definitely changed my diet. I will be eating soups more often, less meat/fish, less bread products, less cheese, less everything. All organic vegetables and eliminating foods with preservatives, although it may seem like a dollar more, I think your body with thank you later. Your body works really hard to digest your food, which affects other important body functions and it makes your body feel super heavy. I definitely love the light feeling I have right now and don't want to lose it. I also noticed the shittier you eat, the more your body smells, we just don't notice because we all smell. All you people smelled really bad when I was on this thing.
However, I don't know that I would do this again, or would be able to. They say its safe to do every 4 months or so, maybe I'll do it twice a year. The first few days are pretty rough, but if you can get through Day 3, the rest is a breeze. I am certain that all the other cleanses are NOT worth it, juice cleanse BOGUS, wayyy too much sugar. This is THE ONE! Otherwise, just cut out the grease, artificial sweeteners and dairy and eat healthy.
Total Weight Loss (10 days): ~8 lbs
Total inches lost: ~6" in my waist 4" Hips
Have any questions? Want to share your experience? Go ahead and comment, I dare you. Cheers!
