DAY 1:
ONE WEEK LATER:
We did it! And I only cheated once with one cup of coffee.
Ok, twice.
Ok FINE, I also had two glasses of wine on Friday night before the cleanse was TECHNICALLY over, but I pretended it was beet juice, so it’s ok (right??).
Friends, this 5-day juice cleanse was a great experience. I know we joked about our #JuicingProblems, but throughout (most of) the cleanse and especially at the end, I felt SO clear-headed, focused, and productive, had plenty of energy (like, maybe more than usual on some days), noticed my skin looking radiant (I swear some wrinkles disappeared, too), and of course, felt thin. Because I know you all want to know about weight loss, I lost five pounds. Now, this IS “real” weight (I even asked our health guru Cara), but if I started carb loading, booze guzzling, and eating like crap, it would probably come back REAL quick (not that I plan on doing that).
Throughout the Monday-Friday cleanse, I did eat some solid foods–raw almonds and cashews here and there, a total of four tomatoes, and three apples. On Day 3, I skipped the fifth juice and had tomatoes and nuts for dinner because I was juiced out. I did a Flywheel cycling class on Tuesday, a Flybarre class on Wednesday, this hard-as-f*ck Megaformer class on Friday (more on that later), and took a couple long walks with my dog. There were definitely times (especially after working out) where I felt really hungry, but I just grabbed some nuts (that’s what she said) or had my next juice and felt normal again.
Aside from the physical effects, a 5-day (or longer) juice cleanse is a mental game. It takes willpower and control, which means after the cleanse is over, you know you’re capable of the willpower and control to not reach for that brownie or a second helping of dinner when you’re already satiated, which is a great thing (if you choose to use it). Some people find the social aspect of it challenging, even just for a short period of time. You don’t want to put yourself in any sort of drinking/dining situation (well you COULD, but you’d be the weirdo at the table), so when you’re going to do a cleanse, definitely plan ahead so you don’t commit to any food/booze outings, and start preparing to either hibernate or engage in activities that don’t revolve around food/booze. This is why it’s nice to have a juicing buddy. (Dream scenario is cleansing with someone you’re dating/sleeping with. Every time you crave food, just have sex instead.)
My biggest mistake was drinking too much on Saturday night. I didn’t plan to tarnish my mega-healthy week, and I knew I should have eased back into partying slowly, but it just snuck up on me with football watching during the day and an amazingly fun wedding celebration at night. I think my body was seriously like, “Are you kidding me with this shit?” and it definitely punished me on Sunday.
BUT…in short, I want to incorporate these juices into my daily (or at least weekly) lifestyle, and would like to do a cleanse twice or three times a year. It’s a solid, healthy reset for the body and with such positive effects, why the hell not?
And here are my JUICING SUPERLATIVES:
Best Day: Day 5. I had lots of energy, felt my clothes fitting looser, and above all, it was the FREAKIN’ WEEKEND.
Worst Day: Day 4. I felt really exhausted and I’m certain this was from lack of sleep (what a revelation!). I didn’t get enough Z’s the night before, but where I would usually chug coffee in the a.m. to get to a normal state, I didn’t want to break the cleanse (although I ended up cheating that night out of desperation to stay awake).
Most Missed: Coffee and everything that goes with it. I love coffee and it’s one of the things I look forward to in a day, whether I’m making it at home or having it at one of my favorite cafes/satellite offices. I felt a void.
Most Popular (Juice): The almond milk liquid orgasm goes without saying, but other than that, I love the Cold Kicker (orange, green apple, kale, lime) because it tastes like a margarita. I also die for the Fat Fighter, which is grapefruit, orange, ginger, and cayenne, and has some serious heat to it.
And now, Liza’s final thoughts…
Overall, this was maybe the easiest time I’ve had on a juice cleanse. I don’t know if it was because I wasn’t making the juice myself (such a messy, messy time suck!) or that I was really busy (no time to focus on food! Juice on-the-go is oh-so convenient!) or that I had a partner in crime (even if she did cheat on me with coffee… womp) it just felt like I wanted to keep going. I didn’t get on a scale to start with—mostly because I hate scales in general. But out of curiosity, I did get on one the last day and guesstimate that I lost at least four pounds. But what was way more important to me was how I felt and the healthy kick it jump-started for me. I don’t want to come across as overselling here, but whatever: The amount of energy and focus I had by the end of the week was just awesome. My skin cleared up, my energy was high, I was sleeping better… I just felt so. Damn. Good. It all just made me appreciate how great my ol’ engine will run if I fill it clean, good fuel.
And maybe the ultimate testament to the success of last week is that, starting off this week, I’m continuing to do a ‘juice ‘til dinner’ situation of four green juices during the day with the plan of healthy, clean dinners at night. I feel too good to go back now!
Maybe the best summary was one of my longtime coworkers’ comments in a Friday afternoon meeting: “Jeez, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this animated in, well… maybe ever?” This coming from the same person that made fun of me for carrying around my “yard water” (as he called it) all week.
I will say that juicing might not be for everyone; I definitely am ready to add more protein to my diet and know some people might need more to stay fueled up all day. I don’t think my levels of energy during juicing is normal. But for me, it’s been a great healthy jumpstart, I feel great, and would do it again tomorrow. Two way-too-enthusiastic thumbs up.
SUPERLATIVES:
Best Day: Day 5, probably because I could see the light at the end of the juice tunnel. I was full of energy and focus. Also: The multiple random compliments from friends and co-workers re: my skin and eyes and overall demeanor being “so glowy” was a nice bonus, too. Also also: I wasn’t desperate to start eating or drinking again, which was maybe my biggest surprise of the week.
Worst Day: Day 3. Poorly planned road trip in which I ran out of juice (aka fuel) and felt a little desperate/ hangry for something/anything to satiate me. That, on top of knowing I still had two days left was my low point.
Most Missed: Chewing? No. Probably having the social outlet/wind-down that is a glass of wine and a good meal at the end of the day. Then again, I think that “missing” this was a great lesson for me: Be more conscious, going forward, of how much I am treating myself to at the end of the day. Sounds simple and obvious to some, but for me it needed to be put in check. And this definitely accomplished that.
Most Popular: The Health Nut almond deliciousness is too obvious, so I’ll go with Hydrate: A refreshing cucumber, lime, mint, apple, and ginger concoction. I love me some ginger. I also love me some cucumber, lime and mint, so I might just have to incorporate that into a daily routine.
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Thanks so much for following our juicy journey (keep tabs on Liza via Twitter), and if you’re thinking about a Roots juice cleanse ($50 a day; check them all out here), you can get 10% off using the code “Pretty” either online or mentioning at the store when you pick up/pay. It’s good on your first Roots purchase (cleanse or otherwise) through December 1.
CHEERS!