To Detox or Not to Detox?

StrengthInPain

I've never done a detox, and i know they are all the rage right now... I've done well on my own but I have a weekend away coming up at the end of August where I will be on the beach all weekend and just want to try to jumpstart my weightloss before then. My best friend is doing a detox right now, and she has lost those few pounds she wanted to. I'm worried for a few reasons: 1. i'm somewhat picky in what i eat and don't know if it will be too restrictive for me 2. after being on something so strict, will i binge when i am done? 3. will i gain back whatever i lose when i go back to eating normally like a lot of other things (atkins, south beach, etc).

Anyone who can offer any advice on this i would appreciate it.

Raina0512

I tried one last week. Totally failed. I started day one and by 6p that night, I was eating anything and everything I could get my hands on. I love food though so it was EXTREMELY hard for me to not eat when I felt hungry. :flowerforyou: Good luck with whatever you decide!

lutzsher

I've spoken to medical professionals, dieticians, etc, to base my opinon on this also . . . and feel that they are crap.
Any weight you lose will just hop right back on as soon as you start eating again as it is mainly water weight you lose anyway. If you maintain a healthy diet without processed foods and additives there is absolutely no reason to do a cleanse or detox. They are a marketing ploy to get you to spend money on the products but they have no health benefits.

p1nkpr1ncess

I did a really good detox last week.

It was hard as I love my food too and the restriction did leave me feeling hungry mainly in the mornings but after the 4 days (thats all it was!) I felt great and had lost 4 lbs! I had been stuck at the same weight for 2 months so it really helped kick start my body again!

If you don't feel like you would stick to it then maybe wait until you think your mind is right for it? I would deffinately recommend doing a short detox though, made me feel great - didn't binge at the end just really appreciated my "normal" food and it made me more aware of what I was eating - especially snacks with hidden sugars in them!

Good luck with it if you deide to give it a try!
-x-x-

cparter

It is only recommend by those who do not want to learn how to eat right and exercise right. It is a waste but people do as they please. My idea is detox is to reduce my fat, eat leafy vegetables/fruit, drink plenty of water and exercise (get off the couch/computer/gameboy/etc.).

TheKitsune6

Not to be nitpicky, but this the statement that you need to focus on right now.

"will i gain back whatever i lose when i go back to eating normally like a lot of other things (atkins, south beach, etc). "

No matter what diet you go on you will gain all the weight back when you "go back to eating normally". If you're looking to lose weight and maintain that loss whatever you do will have to a lifestyle change. There is no going back. Atkins and South Beach aren't the problem - the problem is that people start eating junk again because once they are thin they think they can eat whatever they want.

StrengthInPain

Not to be nitpicky, but this the statement that you need to focus on right now.

"will i gain back whatever i lose when i go back to eating normally like a lot of other things (atkins, south beach, etc). "

No matter what diet you go on you will gain all the weight back when you "go back to eating normally". If you're looking to lose weight and maintain that loss whatever you do will have to a lifestyle change. There is no going back. Atkins and South Beach aren't the problem - the problem is that people start eating junk again because once they are thin they think they can eat whatever they want.

i understand what you are saying, i guess i shouldn't have used "normally" but rather as i have been eating since starting this lifestyle change. i won't lie i've slipped up now and then but i've always gone back to my healthy eating afterwards. i didnt mean "normal" as fast food, processed crap, sugars, sodas, etc. i meant it more as what i've been doing the last 7 months.

StrengthInPain

I did a really good detox last week.

It was hard as I love my food too and the restriction did leave me feeling hungry mainly in the mornings but after the 4 days (thats all it was!) I felt great and had lost 4 lbs! I had been stuck at the same weight for 2 months so it really helped kick start my body again!

If you don't feel like you would stick to it then maybe wait until you think your mind is right for it? I would deffinately recommend doing a short detox though, made me feel great - didn't binge at the end just really appreciated my "normal" food and it made me more aware of what I was eating - especially snacks with hidden sugars in them!

Good luck with it if you deide to give it a try!
-x-x-

i think a short one would be best too... how did you go about doing yours? did you find the info online or on MFP somewhere?

Kincar

I didn't do a detox, but my doctor recommended a juice cleansing. I did it and felt wonderful afterward. She said it would remove plaque from my intestines. I didn't weigh myself before and after so I don't know if I lost weight. I wasn't doing it for that reason, though. I just wanted to feel better. The definite plus was that it eliminated all cravings I'd been having. It was like it reset my taste buds.

Day 1 was hard, but after that I had no problems. I drank Odwalla juice and water, but you can juice your own. I read you can do it for 3 - 10 days. I did it for 6 days before I eased back into solid foods. I felt so good I didn't want to stop, but I was starting to get a little gassy. :P

My doctor told me NOT to use a colon cleansing product, that I wouldn't lose 8 lbs as some of the products claim, and she does not recommend any detox products.

TateFTW

Detox, in general, is completel crap. Pun intended. There aren't any toxins in your body that aren't suposed to be there, and if any real toxins are introduced, your body has ways of dealing with them. That, or you'd die. Considering you aren't dead. . .well, there you go.

If you really were concerned about toxins, then consider that a healthy body is more prepared to protect itself compared to a starved one.