Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead: Joe Cross Juice Diet

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Replies

  • vivo
    vivo Posts: 80
    I've been wanting to try this out so bad but I keep getting worried that I'll fail. Yesterday I wanted to try out juicing the whole day but got out of control and binged :p
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
    I haven't tried juicing, but I did a raw food cleanse for 12 days. I experienced diminished cravings, it stopped my blood sugar spikes, my skin was very clear and so was my mind. My sense of smell was keener. I was mentally sharper and had boundless energy (I had to just go to sleep because it was night, not because I was sleepy). I found that when I did the cleanse, it helped to drink a few cups of water right before bed to help sweep out garbage my body tossed as it repaired itself at night. I lost the 10 lbs in January and have not gained it back...not 1 lb of it.

    To each his own, but I believe these options are great for jump starting a eating lifestyle change. Juicing a fruit or vegetable makes it easier to digest. Also as far as protein, I've been taking spirulina and drinking juices that contain spirulina for years. It is a superfood and contains a large amount of protein. It provides instant energy beyond measure.

    My ultimate goal is to be a raw vegan. The benefits are amazing, not to mention it's kind to the planet and animals.. I can only dream of proper sleep, energy, a clear mind and clear skin. I find it hard, though. Everything I seem to like is cooked or processed.

    Gradually convert foods you love to vegan or raw versions or just use that as your 20% or so of cooked food. Also there are lots of raw food recipes to try.

    Are you already vegan? If not, approach veganism first and then work your way to raw if that is your desire. Long term raw foodists are not all 100% raw, the more sustainable route is about 80/20 raw vs. cooked. And raw doesn't mean not heated, it just means not heated above a certain temperature. I think that some of the benefit of raw food is that you inherently consume more fruits and vegetables. It is definitely easier to grocery shop.... produce section and then out the door.

    Some veggies are better for your health when cooked, such as tomatoes. So just research and make informed choices.

    The only issue I encountered with the raw food lifestyle was that my foods were so low cal and high fiber that I was full but hadn't consumed enough calories to reach my BMR. After a point, I felt lightheaded. Then I added green juice (not raw) to make up for calories and protein.
  • secretlobster
    secretlobster Posts: 3,566 Member
    Juicing is another term for "fasting". If all you're consuming is vegetable/fruit juice, you're robbing your body of essential nutrition. You may lose 200 pounds in 10 days but what happens when you want to start eating like a normal human being again?

    Losing weight shouldn't leave you hungry.
  • fmbomzo
    fmbomzo Posts: 382 Member
    Everyone's body is the same and different. People's bodies can respond differently to different types of foods. It is up to each individual to know their body and what works for it and what does not. There is no one size fits all. My body responds negatively when I consume beef. I become sluggish and feel toxic. I'm very sensitive to sodium and will retain ridiculous amounts of water when I eat foods high in sodium. Some artificial sweeteners give me a headache that leads me to believe I'm having a stroke.

    Other people may be able to consume these items and feel no side effects.

    I just think we can agree to disagree on some things and be respectful of each other's perspectives.
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    But research all points to too much protein being bad for you. I think you can have too much. I agree you should have enough if you're trying to build muscle, or whatever, but I don't think you should overdose on it.
    I'd love to see the research.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Google houses thousands of articles.
    Articles aren't true evidence. I'd like to see Peer reviewed clinical studies. Anyone can write an article or blog on their opinion (people who believe in light therapy write articles with no scientific evidence to back it).
    And it's not for me to google. If someone makes a claim and then is asked to support it, burden of proof is on the person making the claim. I'm open minded, I'd like to see the research.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    I've been wanting to try this out so bad but I keep getting worried that I'll fail. Yesterday I wanted to try out juicing the whole day but got out of control and binged :p
    If you aren't going to be committed, then it's just a waste of time and money. Personally, I haven't found any "true" research to show that juicing isn't anything more than severe calorie restriction.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,972 Member
    Everyone's body is the same and different. People's bodies can respond differently to different types of foods. It is up to each individual to know their body and what works for it and what does not. There is no one size fits all. My body responds negatively when I consume beef. I become sluggish and feel toxic. I'm very sensitive to sodium and will retain ridiculous amounts of water when I eat foods high in sodium. Some artificial sweeteners give me a headache that leads me to believe I'm having a stroke.

    Other people may be able to consume these items and feel no side effects.

    I just think we can agree to disagree on some things and be respectful of each other's perspectives.
    This is for sure: protein and fats are ESSENTIAL. Regardless if you believe it or not, many non meat protein sources are incomplete and lack the essential and complete protein profiles that meat contain.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal & Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • NU2U
    NU2U Posts: 659 Member
    Watched it too...I found it quite interesting...but I love to chew on food too much.

    ( *kitten* looks over to stomach
    Stomach says to *kitten*.."Ya think?" )
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    Not to be the negative one here, but since it's a public forum and many people will take advice because others are touting results, the reality is that liquid diets are temporary fixes. Yeah it's 10 days, but really all that's being done here is VLCD. Introducing solid foods back into your diet will definitely put some of that weight loss back on.
    When your body is flooded by liquid, it will release it just as fast as it takes it in. So the majority of the weight is water weight.

    While this is true, I didn't think that the sole purpose of this particular diet is to lose weight. Yes, you WILL lose weight, but the main focus is to retrain your body to crave fruits and vegetables and not all the processed crap that we normally crave. My concern with doing it for long term is that the weight you are losing would be muscle mass since you're not getting a lot of protein (unless you supplement the protein). Muscle is what makes you burn fat, so if you're depleting your muscle mass, you won't have as much to use to burn fat when you do start eating "normal" again and then you'll again be just as likely to gain the weight back and then some.

    ^^^ Yeah, I think it's meant to be a jump-start and a detox, not a sustainable lifestyle. If it's just temporary and your doctor approves, it sounds acceptable to me. Not that anyone cares what I think...:laugh:
  • you need to check out joinethereboot.com (its based on FSND) they have customized plans for your goals, it's not pure liquid juice 100% of the time.
    it's a great detox.
    as far as the protein debate, kale and spinach are protein dense as far as i know, plant based protein should be an important part of your diet.
    do your research. i've been "juicing" for a about 6 months, it's fantastic, biggest complaint is this weird tongue thing that happens when you detox, but i have found it extremely beneficial, and for a while juicing was a major part of my family's life, my kids, husband...even friends.
    again really research it, jointhereboot is a GREAT place to start. If you are interested in more info about plant based protein check out docs like food inc, and forks over knives. they are a little pushy about a vegan diet, which isn't for everyone, but the info on how to integrate more plant based protein is valuable.
    also check out david wolfe. he is a raw, plant based diet expert.

    good luck :)
  • starcatcher1975
    starcatcher1975 Posts: 292 Member
    A friend of mine was going to try it first for 10 days and then see how he felt after that. He started started complaining of headaches and not feeling well within 2-3 days. A lot of us encouraged him to up his calories, even if that meant he just drank more juice. He said he wanted to stick it out but about day 6 he stopped. He said he didn't like the way he felt. He had a lot going on in his life at the time and he was walking 10-12 miles a day on just juice. He said he was going to try it again because he believes it will work. I think right now he's juicing but also eating regular food. I'm not sure I could do it. I'm not one for mixing all my foods together to start with, lol
  • BlueInkDot
    BlueInkDot Posts: 702 Member
    Hm. I'm going to go ahead and say that this diet is probably great for a certain group of people, but not everyone, and if anyone is considering it, they should probably consult their doctor first.

    I mean I'm all for fruit and veggie smoothies, I have one almost every day. But I'm also a proponent of a balanced diet which fuels your body so that your body can carry out all the functions that it was meant to be able to do. All fruits and veggies and no meat, dairy, carbs or even SOLIDS... hrmmmmmm I don't know what the ramifications of that would be. :-/

    So yea, I would just say consulting your doctor first is prooooobably a good idea. :P
  • starcatcher1975
    starcatcher1975 Posts: 292 Member
    On a side note, why are people getting so angry about this? Is it just MFP people that are ridiculously easily annoyed? I don't think I've yet come across a thread without at least one person being rude or acting arrogant.

    I don't understand either why people are getting so upset. If someone wants to try it, let them. They're not hurting anyone, it may help them. I posted about my friend, how HE felt. That doesn't mean everyone will feel like that. He just happens to be the only person I know who's tried it. (And honestly, I've never even heard of this documentary until he mentioned it.) He liked it enough to try it again, and he does some juicing, but he also eats "real" food
  • To answer a few of the comments I've seen, the program is designed to offer a pretty decent amoutn of calories, if I remember correctly, its around 1500-1600. Maybe that's not enough for some people, but that's what I'm eating now so calorie wise this would be doable.

    To answer why its juiced, the idea is to make the nutrients in the fruits and vegetables more readily available to the body. By juicing instead of eating, there is less digestion (in theory I guess) needed before you can use it.

    The overall program seems geared toward what a lot of you have said its not: lifestlye change. A person who has been eating nothing but Big Macs and Big Gulps is probably extremely nutient deficient, and by giving them pure fresh furit and veggie juice, you are helping the body heal from a lot of abuse. So many people stumble trying to switch to healthier foods, and this offers a plan on how to prepare a wide variety of juices and make a fresh start. The site someone mentioned, jointhereboot.com also offers recipes and meals that promote more focus on fruits and vegetables. I agree that protein and fat is important, but for people who were getting their protiens and fats from the value menu at a drive thru, these meals are quite obvioulsy more nutritious.

    Is it sustainable long term, as in every day for the rest of your life? Probably not. But it certainly isn't as "evil" as diet pills or other fad diets.
  • kbmnurse
    kbmnurse Posts: 2,484 Member
    Sounds aweful.
  • prettygirlhoward
    prettygirlhoward Posts: 338 Member
    bump
  • lilfurson
    lilfurson Posts: 190
    I watched this, and while I haven't gone on a fast, I did buy a juicer and now drink 4 cups of fresh veggie/fruit juice every morning. Makes a huge difference in my mood and I finally am getting vegetables into my diet.

    I take pictures of the before fruits/veggies every day - http://goo.gl/41Gfe
  • sanjoparolas
    sanjoparolas Posts: 549 Member
    My personal experience: watched the movie, bought a juicer, started a juice fast, lost 5 - 7 pounds with no ill effects, currently enjoy juice and food everyday, and found that it is true -- I really changed my tastes to whole foods! That to me is an even greater victory than the weight loss (which I did not regain by the way). I am so grateful I saw this movie, and I think it was because someone on MFP recommended it soon after I joined. My mom is supplementing her diet with juice and I bought a juicer for my sister's family and they are seeing the benefits as well. This plus strength training have been two of the most valuable changes I have made since joining MFP.
  • Jamie65toloose
    Jamie65toloose Posts: 152 Member
    I did a juice fast for 30 days (I know, how can anyone do that). The first 2 days were the hardest for me but then I felt great. There is nothing that you are doing wrong with depriving your body from unwanted processed foods. I lost about 20 pounds in the month that I did it and felt great. Best part....KEPT IT OFF! I have a ton of books on juicing, let me know if you have any questions!
  • zacherybinx
    zacherybinx Posts: 215 Member
    My dear lord a whole ton of naysayers here whom I believe haven't experienced it/tried it on their own and come to their own life experience conclusions. I don't care what your medical or nutritional background is to be honest, learn from your own experience(s) not from what books/people tell you, especially when the majority of these people/books in the medical field have something to gain by you buying into what they believe.

    Detoxing is no myth and when you watch what happens over the period of time you do it, you'll realize that through experience. I've been steadily juicing for the past 6 months and increasing how much I'm juicing daily and have never felt better. And yes *kitten* for a lack of a better word will leave your body, but when you realize how long you've been putting crap in your body it makes complete logical sense that it will come out over time in different ways.

    As far as proteins concerned, I'd say it has the most misinformation surrounding it. There's not much money in it for the large companies to market plants that anyone can grow in their own yard, same goes for pharmaceuticals there. Bottom line is marketing meat as a protein source that will help you put on muscle or marketing milk that keeps your bones strong helps them make huge amounts of money. This obviously creates a larger argument of what's right and wrong vegetarian vs. carnivore, but I say don't take anyone else's advice wholeheartedly. Instead take the information from the numerous World class athletes who juice or are a 100% raw for that matter and come to your own conclusions based upon what you choose or choose not to personally try. Live and learn from your own experiences and you will see what's right and wrong for your body. No one persons advice can be true for everyone on the planet.

    In conclusion, everyone hydrate! lol At least we can all agree upon breathing air/drinking water as life necessities...
  • Masterdo
    Masterdo Posts: 331 Member
    My dear lord a whole ton of naysayers here whom I believe haven't experienced it/tried it on their own and come to their own life experience conclusions. I don't care what your medical or nutritional background is to be honest, learn from your own experience(s) not from what books/people tell you, especially when the majority of these people/books in the medical field have something to gain by you buying into what they believe.

    Absolutely! Like someone selling a book+dvd+juicing machine+other dieting products... oh wait...

    And for learning from your own experience, if we were still at that point, everyone would die from jumping in a fire to see if it really burns like everyone has been saying. "Learn from other people's mistake, you won't live long enough to make them all yourself". That's why people do research. That's why over the past 10 years, research shows that 1% of people buying into any type of dieting products really lose weight and keep it off for good.

    http://journals.cambridge.org/download.php?file=/BJN/BJN92_S1/S0007114504001680a.pdf&code=991f0bd678e942031339879b90c07d0c Rellay read that one. To spoil the end for you, they conclude that no, dieting doesn't make you fat, but that the whole dieting industry is incredibly good at selling things to fat people, but sucks at helping you lose weight in fact. The dieting industry is just as prolific today as food industry or pharmaceutical industry you seem to despise.

    Also, those raw only athletes eat more protein than you could possibly imagine. Protein != meat ... So if you pursue your fitness/weight goal while changing your relationship with food, change your lifestyle, you will succeed wheter you do any type of diet or not, just like you will fail if you don't, whether you use dieting "gimmicks" like the juice diet or not.

    There are no shortcuts... And that's true for everyone on the planet.
  • Aubzamzam
    Aubzamzam Posts: 2 Member
    I am on day 3 of my juice fast. I know at least 4 other people who have done it or are doing it. I am getting about 1200-1500 calories a day on the juice that I drink. This is the same amount of calories MFP told me to eat when trying to lose 1 lb a week. So I am getting the same amount of calories, but these calories are far more nutrient rich. This seems like a pretty healthy way to jumpstart eating healthy and right. There are tons of recipes to experiment with and my adventure has been really yummy so far!

    To those who say you gain weight as soon as you introduce solids....well that is wrong. After fasting your stomach has shrunk. You eat far less than you did before (I was overeating) and continue to lose weight even after the fast is over. Of course if you immediately return to your OLD eating habits you will put the weight back on. The point of the juice fast is to jump start your body in to high gear and prepare yourself for new eating habits.

    For me, it hasn't been that hard not eating. But the preparation and time it takes to prepare and juice every single meal is really starting to annoy me. This is by no means "the easy way out".
  • Beesting83
    Beesting83 Posts: 1 Member
    I have to say, I just started a juice fast myself and after reading through all of these responses I feel like I'm ready to take on any nay sayers that I encounter. I'm doing this as a way to feel better and to detox, the weight loss, if any, will be secondary. There are many benefits to fasting and not all of them are physical. I'm looking forward to clarity of mind, a sense of well being, not to mention feeling less toxic. I plan on doing 60 days, so we'll see how that goes. I'm doing well now though!
  • chachadiva150
    chachadiva150 Posts: 453 Member
    It's not a diet. It's a fast. Usually, there is more at stake than just weight loss. There is something to be said to eliminating all solid food and additives from the body for a period of time.
  • holly1283
    holly1283 Posts: 741 Member
    I think this is one of those threads where we have 2 opposite sides. I have never done this and probably won't. However, if the person doing it is getting the proper nutrients for his/her body, no one is going to change their minds. My concern is why everyone is so into this cleanse issue? Your body will cleanse itself if there is nothing wrong with your liver and as for colon-rectal cleansing I really don't think that is meant to be sparkling clean. Everyone should get their annual physicals. Our bodies are unique creations and really does know how to clean out its systems(unless there is an illness). As one RN said to me she has problems when something it to retrain you system when it already working just fine.
  • p02mk
    p02mk Posts: 2
    I did it for 7 days and lost 8 pounds back in March. Over the next month and a half I ate a ton of junk food and lost another 1.5 pounds. I'm trying to do it for the month of June but have cheated twice. I should mention I had a 20 oz cappuccino every single day of the 7 days too. Good luck, the first 3-4 days are rough but it gets way easier after that.
  • p02mk
    p02mk Posts: 2
    I double the recipe I use and pour it into empty water bottles and freeze them immediately. It tastes exactly the same after it thaws and easier to drink when it is ice cold. I only have to juice every 3 days that way.
  • GreatDepression
    GreatDepression Posts: 347 Member
    Juice fasts generally don't work too well for most people trying to lose fat weight.
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    I'd rather get my calories from healthy food, but that's my opinion.

    Ummm...what's unhealthy about whole fruits and vegetables? It's not store bought juice...he juices it all on his own.

    Fruit is sugar and fiber. You juice it and it is just sugar. You are drinking sugar water at that point. I mean juice tastes good and all but surviving off juice is basically saying "I'm going to ingest nothing but sugar for 10 days, wish me luck"
  • Aaron_K123
    Aaron_K123 Posts: 7,122 Member
    ...and suckered in by an ancient thread.
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