I Detoxed & Lost 5 Pounds in 7 Days!

After writing Why I Stopped Dieting & Started Detoxing! I knew I had to try a detox.  I am so glad I did because, after 16 years of dieting, I detoxed & lost 5 pounds in 7 days!

While losing 5 pounds in 7 days is a huge accomplishment for almost anyone, it was somewhat miraculous for me. I really can’t remember a time throughout my 16-year weight loss journey when I have lost more than 2 pounds in a week.  Factor in my weight loss resistance and other diagnoses making it difficult to lose weight and, well, I really wish I would have started detoxing sooner!

With So Many Detoxes Which One Did I Do?

Wow!  Have you ever researched detoxes?  There are hundreds of them and they are all SO different.  I honestly feel choosing the right detox for me was the hardest part of detoxing!

I researched detoxes for three weeks, literally, and ultimately chose the JJ Virgin detox.  It was my pick because it was a 7-day detox (which I felt was a doable amount of time), included two green cleanse smoothies (order here) a day so I knew there wouldn’t be an unbearable amount of food prep, was reasonably priced in comparison to other options,  and I’ve purchased other products from JJ Virgin and loved the quality.

Green Smoothie Cleanse:

I had two smoothies a day which consisted of a scoop of the green smoothie cleanse, a handful of spinach,  a cup of the frozen fruit of my choice, 10 ounces of unsweetened cashew or almond milk, chia seeds, and 1/2 an avocado or a tablespoon or two of almond or cashew butter.  For a little treat, I sometimes added a few drops of vanilla, ground cinnamon, or sprinkles (order here).

Green Smoothie Cleanse

There are a ton of other possible smoothie recipe options, including this strawberry detox smoothie but I tend to stick to the basics when it comes to my shakes.

What I Snacked On:

When I needed a snack, I had something like:

• Cup of bone broth with flavorful gluten-free spices
• 1/2 an avocado with red pepper
• An apple with 2 Tbsp almond or cashew butter
• Roasted cauliflower
• Baby carrots or cucumbers with hummus
• Celery sticks with 2 Tbsp cashew or almond butter
• A handful of cashews or almonds with 1/2 a cucumber

What I Ate For Dinner or Lunch:

In addition to two green smoothies a day,  I ate one meal for lunch or dinner which consisted of clean, lean protein like chicken or fish, 1/2 a plate of veggies, and a 1/4 plate of healthy fat. Gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, corn, peanuts, sugar, and artificial sugars were not allowed.  In general, the recipes are very Paleo and Whole30ish.

There were specific recipes available but since I just completed 100 days of the Whole30, am already egg-free, and can’t cook, I stuck to the delicious easy recipes I know.

Members of my detox support group loved the Paleo Egg Roll Bowl recipe and Detoxifying Asian Salmon Veggie Stir Fry.

What I Drank:

I drank A LOT of water on this detox, which is really important when trying to cleanse your organs.  Lemon is well known for its cleansing properties and I drank as much lemon water as my stomach would tolerate.

The detox program introduced me to a new favorite in our house iced green tea.  My Husband and I have literally slurped down a pitcher of it a day since the first day of the detox.  The recipe is simple:  fill 3/4 of a pitcher with water,  add 1 whole thinly sliced cucumber, 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup mint leaves, and between 1-3 green tea bags depending on taste.  Stir and let it sit in the fridge and Yum.  And, if you don’t like green tea, try it anyway.  I never cared for green tea at all and love this recipe!

Green Tea Detox Recipe

For all my coffee drinking friends coffee is allowed, but no cream or sugar.

Supplements That  Supported The Detox:

If you have read more than a few of my blogs you probably know I love my supplements. Having said that, I tried to keep my supplement intake pretty simple for this cleanse so I could really feel how it was working.  Here’s what I took and why:

• Daily Fiber Caps Fiber helps with satiety and I was expecting to be hungry on this detox. It also cleans the colon and build up in your intestines. I hesitate to tell you how many fiber pills  I took a day because you really need to work your way up slowly.  Fiber is binding and if you take too much too soon you can get constipated.
• Daily Multivitamin
• Klaire Labs Magnesium   While detoxing magnesium can be extremely helpful to help with sleep and alleviate constipation.  My integrative physician, Dr. John Hicks, suggested starting with taking 1 capsule a night and adding a capsule a night until you start to “feel like a goose”.
• Buffered Ascorbic Acid Buffered Ascorbic Acid is my go-to for extreme constipation. I kept it on hand in case I needed it and sure enough by day 6 of the detox, I needed to take two a day.

What I did to Support The Detox:

While detoxes are amazing for breaking up the toxins in your body, it is incredibly important to do things to support the toxins leaving your body vs. getting stuck inside.  Here are a few things I did and plan to do better next time:

• Walk: Ideally, I like to walk for one hour a day when I am detoxing. To be completely honest, I was too tired for the first few days but I was able to get a few good walks in.
• Dry Brush:  Check out this blog:  The Science Behind Dry Brushing Skin for Detox for some great information if you are not familiar with dry brushing for detox.
• Sauna:  I absolutely love infrared saunas for detoxing because they help me sweat while the infrared rays penetrate deep and get to the fat to get the toxins out.  I am sad to say I didn’t use an infrared sauna during this one week period.  Do you mind if I tell you why?  It’s because I just purchased an infrared sauna and am waiting for it to be delivered.  I am so excited!
• Epsom Salt Bath:  Dr. Axe wrote that Epsom salt baths help to detoxify us and cleanse our livers in his blog.  As an added bonus, Epsom salt baths relieve constipation which can often be an issue when detoxing.

Epsom Salt Bath

 How I Felt:

Well, I don’t want to lie to you,  the first few days were a little hairy.  I definitely had a case of the “detox flu”.  I was able to work and function but I was tired.  Ok,  I’ll admit, I was cranky too.   Midweek I got pretty constipated and I wasn’t alone, it seemed as though several people in my detox group were.  By the end of the week, I was feeling amazing, less bloated, and my skin was glowing!

Would I Recommend This Detox To A Friend:

I would absolutely recommend the green smoothie detox to a friend!  Planning accordingly is key. You don’t want to start on very stressful days at work or when you know you will be crazy busy.  Since constipation seems probable stocking up on magnesium and Epsom salt beforehand is a good idea.  Also, if you are a busy multitasker who doesn’t like to cook, take advantage of how simple this detox can be: two green smoothies and one simple meal a day. If you decide to order your meals from True Fare, you can have all of your food prep for the entire day done in under 10 minutes a day! This could be the easiest detox plan ever!

I hope you try it!

Cheers!

Tanya

 

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