Are Detoxes okay?

I'm 5'2" and at 169 lbs. I've been really good about my diet for the past couple of months and eat between 1300 to 1500 calories. I exercise about 4 to 5 days a week with three sessions of weight lifting along with running 3 miles 4 to 5 days. I haven't lost any weight in the past couple of weeks and I am getting really frustrated since I've been working hard. I've been looking at tea detoxes that help with de-bloating and what not. You still have to eat a normal healthy diet when drinking these. My question is if these are safe to use?
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Replies

  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    What is it you're trying to detox from?
  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1159755/looking-for-a-detox-cleanse/p1

    In general, they're a waste of time and sometimes money. Unless you're preparing for a specific medical procedure, don't worry about it. Your body detoxes just fine on it's own.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Most of the teas include natural laxatives or diuretics. You might lose some water/waste in your system, but it won't be lasting weight loss. They also shouldn't be used more than 7 days.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1159755/looking-for-a-detox-cleanse

    If you're not losing weight, it's usually best to take a hard look at your diet and exercise routine and see if something is off. The detox isn't going to be what you need.
  • kk_inprogress
    kk_inprogress Posts: 3,077 Member
    It's not a matter of safe - they're completely useless. They won't help you lose (sustainable) weight and they aren't taking any toxins out of your body that your liver and kidneys aren't designed to do. Don't waste your $$.
  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    What do you need to detox from?

    Your liver and kidneys detox for you; they remove substances which are not needed by the body - i.e. fecal matter and urine.

    The majority of detoxes sold now-a-days are just diuretics which make you lose water weight via urination or defecation.

    OP... answer these questions;
    • Are you using an electric food scale?
    • Are you weighing your foods accurately? i.e. using grams instead of cups
    • How are you obtaining your calorie burns? MFP, HRM or machines?
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  • Bexx005
    Bexx005 Posts: 31 Member
    I do use a food scale fro the most part. Sometimes I'm in a rush and forget to weigh some things, so everything may not be accurate. Also I use the fitbit HR for my exercises to make sure I can get a good idea as to how many calories I'm burning.
  • WBB55
    WBB55 Posts: 4,131 Member
    If you're not weighing everything, that seems like a good guess at why you're not losing.
  • VernerDixon
    VernerDixon Posts: 38 Member
    "Safe"?, maybe.

    Effective and The Right Thing To Do? ...Probably not.

    Detox teas, as everyone else said, are just diuretics, meaning you'll pee and (other things) more but it's only a temporary fix as you'll just be dehydrating yourself.

    @IsaackGMOON is right when he asks if you're properly weighing/measuring your foods.

    But, BIG PICTURE thinking... just keep going. If you're doing the right things, which it sounds like you are. You're body will catch up to what you're doing.

  • dubird
    dubird Posts: 1,849 Member
    If you've lost weight the past couple of months and are now stalled, maybe it's time to reevaluate what your calorie limit is. As you lose weight, the amount of calories you need also lowers, so you need to check it from time to time. I think it's every 10 lbs lost or something, but I don't know exactly. I did mine about every 10 lbs once I realized I had to do it, and it seemed to work for me.

    Also, the less you have to lose, the slower you should lose it. Takes longer, but is healthier for you in the long term.
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    edited August 2015
    OP - these folks are well-intentioned but completely ignorant of the benefits that come with a good detox/cleanse program. Just like food has macro and micronutrients, it also has macrotoxins and microtoxins. These toxins get stored in various neural pathways and digestive ducts. It's hard to get them out once they accumulate, but a proper cleanse can really help. Let me know if you want more info.
  • Bexx005
    Bexx005 Posts: 31 Member
    So far I've lost 16lbs. I was doing fine without the weight training and only cardio. But once I added weights in the scale didn't move at all. I honestly didn't really think twice about my calories only because I was weighing what I ate most of the time, which now sounds like that's what's causing the delay. But thank you for the advice. I'll definitely adjust my calories accordingly and weigh my food more consistently so I know exactly how much I am eating.
  • diannethegeek
    diannethegeek Posts: 14,776 Member
    Bexx005 wrote: »
    So far I've lost 16lbs. I was doing fine without the weight training and only cardio. But once I added weights in the scale didn't move at all. I honestly didn't really think twice about my calories only because I was weighing what I ate most of the time, which now sounds like that's what's causing the delay. But thank you for the advice. I'll definitely adjust my calories accordingly and weigh my food more consistently so I know exactly how much I am eating.

    When you start weight training your body often holds onto some excess fluid to help cushion and repair those sore muscles. This often shows on the scale as a stall or even a slight gain. The good news is that it's temporary. The bad news is that it can stick around for a few weeks before the scale gets moving in the right direction again. You may just need to be patient (although it never hurts to double-check your logging to be sure it's as accurate as you can manage)
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    OP - these folks are well-intentioned but completely ignorant of the benefits that come with a good detox/cleanse program. Just like food has macro and micronutrients, it also has macrotoxins and microtoxins. These toxins get stored in various neural pathways and digestive ducts. It's hard to get them out once they accumulate, but a proper cleanse can really help. Let me know if you want more info.

    XXDK9O7.gif
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    peleroja wrote: »
    OP - these folks are well-intentioned but completely ignorant of the benefits that come with a good detox/cleanse program. Just like food has macro and micronutrients, it also has macrotoxins and microtoxins. These toxins get stored in various neural pathways and digestive ducts. It's hard to get them out once they accumulate, but a proper cleanse can really help. Let me know if you want more info.

    XXDK9O7.gif

    You better have a franchise if you're going to be posting s*** about my cleanse process! You're giving away the secrets of my patented monoglucosaccharide scrubbing process!
  • Bexx005
    Bexx005 Posts: 31 Member
    Thank you. Yea I will definitely keep an eye on my food and be more strict. But what you said about the weight training makes sense. I guess I'll just have to be patient and wait this out then :/
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    Possibly safe, but completely useless. A lot of the teas just make you poop excessively - so if you like to spend a lot of time on the toilet then go for it I guess.
  • Bexx005
    Bexx005 Posts: 31 Member
    Possibly safe, but completely useless. A lot of the teas just make you poop excessively - so if you like to spend a lot of time on the toilet then go for it I guess.

    Eh Maybe not then. I work full-time and go to school full-time so I'm not home from 6am to 10:30pm. I usually do my workouts in the morning or during the 2 hours I have between works and class.

  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    peleroja wrote: »
    OP - these folks are well-intentioned but completely ignorant of the benefits that come with a good detox/cleanse program. Just like food has macro and micronutrients, it also has macrotoxins and microtoxins. These toxins get stored in various neural pathways and digestive ducts. It's hard to get them out once they accumulate, but a proper cleanse can really help. Let me know if you want more info.

    XXDK9O7.gif

    You better have a franchise if you're going to be posting s*** about my cleanse process! You're giving away the secrets of my patented monoglucosaccharide scrubbing process!

    Just, you know, providing a little hint on where this thread is headed. The microwave explosion, that is.

    I love a good cleanse thread. So refreshing, once the smell of burning sucrose and althaea officinalis dissipates.
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    Water and your renal system - the best detoxifyers out there.
  • stevencloser
    stevencloser Posts: 8,911 Member
    OP - these folks are well-intentioned but completely ignorant of the benefits that come with a good detox/cleanse program. Just like food has macro and micronutrients, it also has macrotoxins and microtoxins. These toxins get stored in various neural pathways and digestive ducts. It's hard to get them out once they accumulate, but a proper cleanse can really help. Let me know if you want more info.

    You are way too good at this. I was almost gonna write an angry post until I saw the name.
  • Jruzer
    Jruzer Posts: 3,501 Member
    OP - these folks are well-intentioned but completely ignorant of the benefits that come with a good detox/cleanse program. Just like food has macro and micronutrients, it also has macrotoxins and microtoxins. These toxins get stored in various neural pathways and digestive ducts. It's hard to get them out once they accumulate, but a proper cleanse can really help. Let me know if you want more info.

    Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
    OP - these folks are well-intentioned but completely ignorant of the benefits that come with a good detox/cleanse program. Just like food has macro and micronutrients, it also has macrotoxins and microtoxins. These toxins get stored in various neural pathways and digestive ducts. It's hard to get them out once they accumulate, but a proper cleanse can really help. Let me know if you want more info.

    I trust all of this, not due to content, but epic beard.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    I've hear that the Haribo sugar-free gummy bear cleanse works well.
  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    1 - you still haven't answered the first question:
    what are you trying to "detox" from?
    what "toxins" do you think are in your body, that aren't being handled by the normal excretory organs?

    2 - read that link in the second post
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,603 Member
    edited August 2015
    Some are and some aren't. Some, like a weekend juice fast, will probably not do you any major harm. There's a good chance that the worst thing would be some diarrhea. Others, like swallowing massive amounts of salt, can kill you if you don't vomit up whatever harmful thing you've done to yourself.

    If you want to keep bloating in check, watch your sodium. This won't always stop bloating at period time, but it will be a big help.

    I'm not a fan of the word "cleanse" because you're really not cleaning anything, but I understand what most people mean when they say it.

    Just be careful. I'd call the doctor and run any cleanse by them before undertaking it. There are some really dangerous ones out there. I spent maybe ten minutes on the web once and found at least three that could do serious harm. Be really careful.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,578 Member
    MKEgal wrote: »
    I've hear that the Haribo sugar-free gummy bear cleanse works well.

    Hey hey, now. I've got the ™ on that one!
  • tincanonastring
    tincanonastring Posts: 3,944 Member
    MKEgal wrote: »
    1 - you still haven't answered the first question:
    what are you trying to "detox" from?

    Duh! Toxins and other environmental poisons that bio-accumulate along our cardio-digestive pathway.

    OP - I can really help you out. I've recently introduced a juicing phase to the cleanse and it's proving to really help people jump start their cardiobolic processing. I've gotta say that all the peeps on my cleanse program are fully satisfied with their results.
  • Blondiez73
    Blondiez73 Posts: 33 Member
    Bexx005 wrote: »
    I'm 5'2" and at 169 lbs. I've been really good about my diet for the past couple of months and eat between 1300 to 1500 calories. I exercise about 4 to 5 days a week with three sessions of weight lifting along with running 3 miles 4 to 5 days. I haven't lost any weight in the past couple of weeks and I am getting really frustrated since I've been working hard. I've been looking at tea detoxes that help with de-bloating and what not. You still have to eat a normal healthy diet when drinking these. My question is if these are safe to use?

    You'd be better off just eating plenty of whole raw fruits. It will do the same thing. Detox. Fruits are cleansing and if you eat enough of them you will "detox". Now, I am not saying just one apple or one banana or one pear. I am talking, a whole cantaloupe or watermelon. Many (5+) bananas, apples, pears etc. as a MEAL, not a snack. Drink lots of water and stay next to a toilet, because you will visit it often. Do it on a day when you will stay at home.

    I personally do not find teas the answer. To me, they produce expensive urine. Fruit and veggies is the way to go.

  • IsaackGMOON
    IsaackGMOON Posts: 3,358 Member
    Blondiez73 wrote: »
    Bexx005 wrote: »
    I'm 5'2" and at 169 lbs. I've been really good about my diet for the past couple of months and eat between 1300 to 1500 calories. I exercise about 4 to 5 days a week with three sessions of weight lifting along with running 3 miles 4 to 5 days. I haven't lost any weight in the past couple of weeks and I am getting really frustrated since I've been working hard. I've been looking at tea detoxes that help with de-bloating and what not. You still have to eat a normal healthy diet when drinking these. My question is if these are safe to use?

    You'd be better off just eating plenty of whole raw fruits. It will do the same thing. Detox. Fruits are cleansing and if you eat enough of them you will "detox". Now, I am not saying just one apple or one banana or one pear. I am talking, a whole cantaloupe or watermelon. Many (5+) bananas, apples, pears etc. as a MEAL, not a snack. Drink lots of water and stay next to a toilet, because you will visit it often. Do it on a day when you will stay at home.

    I personally do not find teas the answer. To me, they produce expensive urine. Fruit and veggies is the way to go.

    And what will you detox from?