The Cleanse...Can I Go A Whole Day Without Food?

So as I start this post, it is 10:20, I am trying to take my mind off the fact I substituted a delicious breakfast for juice. Why? Because I took the plunge (fueled mostly by the 50% off Groupon - I just can't pass up a bargain) and purchased a 1 day organic juice cleanse from a local store in Decatur, Nectar.

Not only is completing a cleanse on my list, but it also has some pretty legit health benefits. Let me point out some of my boyfriends favorites: increases sex drive, helps improve PMS symptoms, and improves mood. So obvious. Now let me point out my favorites: weight loss, radiant skin, mental clarity. Men really are from another planet.

I'm about to drink juice 2/6. I now know what I'm up against (you can REALLY taste every fruit and veggie in the drink). There's no sugar, no sweetener, nothing but pure, organic, raw fruits and veggies. You're allowed to drink water with lemon, which helps the detox part, in addition to herbal teas. My version of "cheating" is putting half a packet of Splenda in my tea pretending I'm sipping on a SBUX venti skinny caramel macchiato.

Just popped opened drink number 2. This one has cucumbers in it, which is surprisingly much better than the first. I also just went to the bathroom, catching a quick glimpse of myself in the mirror. To my horror the magenta juice drink gave me a bit of a mustache, which gave off the impression of herpes on my upper lip. Not cool, cleanse. Not cool at all.  I shall be much more careful this time around.

Ok, so it's 12:30 and I'm on juice 3. I'm hungry, but as one of my friends reminded me, it's all "mind over matter". So I'm not hungry. In fact, I cannot wait to drink this carrot, apple, and celery blend. In all seriousness, I think this is my favorite. Gulp...Gulp...Gulp...3 down, 3 to go. Halfway there. I can do this. I can do this. I want a cookie. Shit.

***UPDATE: It's now 4pm. I opened juice 4 about 20 minutes ago. It's literally turning my stomach. Not like I'm a huge fan of beets, but I don't think I'll be able to eat them, EVER again. I'm going to chug the rest of the bottle and pray it stays down. Thank goodness I mixed up the juices because if I had to stomach this twice in a row, I'd quit.

Fast Forward to 8am Friday morning...I survived. And much to my surprise I actually stuck it out and didn't cheat. I drank half of juice 5 before hot yoga and the rest immediately after. I went home, showered, and settled on the couch for a documentary. I probably should have watched it before I started, but I felt I was going to need some encouragement at home since my fridge is stocked and there's a box of Cheez-It's that were staring at me from the pantry. I highly recommend watching "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead" as it definitely served as motivation to get through the night without ingesting even the tiniest morsel of spinach.

After I finished up, the strangest thing happened to me. I got energized. Here it was, 10pm at night and I decided to clean my room, respond to 42 (yes...42) emails I had received in between 5pm - 10pm from overly eager Junior Leaguers, and pack my bags for Friday night's sleepover with the bf. Somehow I got in bed and fell asleep before 11pm. I don't know how that happened.

I woke up bright and early (eh, I only hit snooze once and kinda laid there), got ready and to work in record time. I was actually early to work, I can hardly believe it. The best part of my morning: I wasn't starving. One of my coworkers told me he predicted the hardest part would be not to binge the next day. So far, so good. In fact, I kind of think next time, I'll go for 2 days...then maybe 5...maybe 10...who knows?!? Yes, I said next time. My impulse buying + Amazon Prime is a deadly weapon. I bought a juicer of my own. Hooray!

If you're considering a juice cleanse, please keep the following things in mind:
1. Start small and work your way up. Do one meal. Then one day. Then 2 days. And so on....
2. Fruits taste much better than greens, so start with the majority with fruits then gradually increase your veggies. You will like it much better.
3. Beets are used as a sweetener. Don't be alarmed when your pee turns a nice rosy color. It's totally fine.
4. Even after one day, I noticed more energy, better skin, and yes...I lost a few pounds ("I really wanna lose 3 pounds". Excuse my Mean Girls reference. You know I try to throw them in where applicable). Your body will definitely thank you for making the effort.
5. Your mind is a powerful thing. If you think you can't do it, it's that simple...you won't. If you tell yourself you can...you will.

That's all folks...

L