Detoxing or cleansing to start a diet.

LindsayT2012

A few place I have read suggest starting a diet with a detox cleansing kit. Has anyone done this, and if so what do you recommend?

Stooooo

A few place I have read suggest starting a diet with a detox cleansing kit. Has anyone done this, and if so what do you recommend?

I do The 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse once every 3 or 4 months.

DietingMommy08

I did a 10 day cleanse I bought at walmart....

I followed every direction (soo many pills. Lol)

Most of them require you NOT to exercise while your doing the cleanse so needless to say it didnt do ANYTHING for me.
Ive learned that my body needs to be active for me to lose weight.

Good luck!!

brice02

I do the Advocare 10 day cleanse every 90 days, it's gentle, not harsh like a lot of others out there. Very beneficial to any weight loss program.

RMinVA

Save your $$ and just eat fruits/veggies for a few days. That will do the trick.

RunHardBeStrong

Save your $$ and just eat fruits/veggies for a few days. That will do the trick.

Exactly what I was going to say. Just switching over to clean whole foods and lots of water will do the same thing!

pegesam

To each his own opinion -- and your probably going to get a lot of different opinions on this topic.
I'm not a fan of detox and or cleansing regimens. If you want to detox, then change your diet, push the fluids (preferably water) and you'll be detoxed probably by the end of day 1. Cravings (in my opinion) aren't a result of not detoxing. Food is in and out of your system in 6 hours or less (our digestive system is designed to manage things this way). Preservatives and food colorings and dyes are something different, but still, should be out of our system thanks to liver and kidney functions in a short amount of time also.
If you want a cleanse-- eat more veggies-- Nature's little scrubbies, especially if raw and with skin. A vegetarian will probably never get colon cancer.

CamiXiomara

In all honesty, you do not need a cleaning or detoxing to begin your diet. Begin by eating healthier foods. Remove unnecessary foods from your diet.

If you change your eating pattern and incorporate more vegetables and fruits, you are introducing fiber to your body. Fiber is essential to feel full and to cleanse your intestines. It also help lower your risk of heart diseases.

Also, drink plenty of water, too. Water aids in the removal of toxins in your body. Incorporating water, a sensible diet that includes vegetables, fruits, grains - legumes, nuts, etc. - and exercise is all you need to optimize your body. I also would suggest that you speak to your physician before engaging in any strenuous activity or exercise.

ninerbuff

Waste of time. Once you start reducing your calorie intake, go into calorie deficit, drinking water, exercising and getting enough rest, your body will do what it needs to.
All this hoopla about detox and cleansing has NO SCIENTIFIC OR CLINICAL PEER REVIEWED STUDIES that they do anything to "start" up your weight loss. It's just a money making deal for the sellers and promoters.

CamiXiomara

If you want a cleanse-- eat more veggies-- Nature's little scrubbies, especially if raw and with skin. A vegetarian will probably never get colon cancer.

On the spot! Vegetables= fiber. Fiber does the job. Add water and things will run smoothly. Okay, enough! Good luck, though.

ak_in_ak

You will clense yourself by eating healthy. They are a hoax composed of laxatives and additives to make you think what is coming out is something amazing when really it is what is in the pills you are taking. There is a great Fat2Fit podcast about it.

aqua4u75

I have tried detox pills before and they did not work for me, period. As soon as I start eating heaIthier (fruits and veggies) is when my body begins to detox naturally. After a few days it doesn't appear that my body is in detox mode any longer, but I am sure it is better than feeding myself some of the awful things I had been used to eating. I have been taking probiotics and they seem to help my immune system, but really I can't devote that to them alone. I have veggies and fruits to thank for that as well. In fact I am planning on not taking them much longer, atleast until I can get my doctor's advice on them.

Stooooo

You will clense yourself by eating healthy. They are a hoax composed of laxatives and additives to make you think what is coming out is something amazing when really it is what is in the pills you are taking. There is a great Fat2Fit podcast about it.

Sorry I beg to differ at least when it comes to Shakeology. For one it is not a pill and two it contains pre-biotics and digestive enzymes. The others I cannot speak about as I do not know them.

dad106

You will clense yourself by eating healthy. They are a hoax composed of laxatives and additives to make you think what is coming out is something amazing when really it is what is in the pills you are taking. There is a great Fat2Fit podcast about it.

Sorry I beg to differ at least when it comes to Shakeology. For one it is not a pill and two it contains pre-biotics and digestive enzymes. The others I cannot speak about as I do not know them.

You can also get pro-biotics and digestive enzymes from yogurt.. specifically greek and activita.. and they are a lot cheaper then shakeology.

To OP:
Dont waste your money on a cleanse. Just eat better and exercise and the body will do what it needs too.

melsinct

I agree, "cleanses" and "detoxes" are a scam. You have natural "cleansers" in your body- kidneys, liver, etc. and no magic shake or pill will "cleanse" you of whatever "toxins" you think you need to be rid of. That is the function of your organs, not a shake.

However, companies make billions of dollars every year selling their products so apparently us naysayers are in the minority. I work too hard for my money to fork it over to snake oil salesmen.

jec228

I did a 3 day juice cleanse at one point when i was getting off track, i felt like i needed something to give me a boost. there are a lot out there but i did the cooler cleanse - i actually chose this one becasue i had a groupon and juice cleanses tend to be pricey.

i did it with two other girls in my office and 2/3 of us both really enojyed it - the other was really tired and irritable and hungry. you can eat a small amt of nuts or a piece of fruit with it which i didn't really feel like i needed.

after the three days i had dropped about 6 lbs in a week (im not really overweight so that was a lot for me in a short amt of time, and i didn't really expect to keep it off for long). BUT i really did feel a lot better, my cravings were different and it changed my perspective on food in the long run. if i can live off of juice for 3 days i can put down the slice of pizza...

i can see how it is not for everyone and a lot of people discourage juice cleanses such as this but it was somethng i had always wanted to try and am glad i did...

koosdel

Save your $$ and just eat fruits/veggies for a few days. That will do the trick.

Exactly what I was going to say. Just switching over to clean whole foods and lots of water will do the same thing!

Your body comes equipped with a few organs that are rather efficient at 'de-toxing, and cleansing'. Any weightloss from a cleanse will be from dehydration, and/or 'evacuations' (that's how you say poop all fancy like).

...and of course, de-toxing is simply a load of rubbish.

asyouseefit

I agree, "cleanses" and "detoxes" are a scam. You have natural "cleansers" in your body- kidneys, liver, etc. and no magic shake or pill will "cleanse" you of whatever "toxins" you think you need to be rid of. That is the function of your organs, not a shake.

However, companies make billions of dollars every year selling their products so apparently us naysayers are in the minority. I work too hard for my money to fork it over to snake oil salesmen.

^^^This!

MrsCon40

I find that the best cleanse before starting a diet is cleaning out my fridge and using lots of Simple Green until it's fresh and clean smelling and ready to receive delicious, wholesome whole foods!!

My liver and kidneys do a great job on their own when I drink sufficient water!

:flowerforyou:

dshalbert

I agree, "cleanses" and "detoxes" are a scam. You have natural "cleansers" in your body- kidneys, liver, etc. and no magic shake or pill will "cleanse" you of whatever "toxins" you think you need to be rid of. That is the function of your organs, not a shake.

However, companies make billions of dollars every year selling their products so apparently us naysayers are in the minority. I work too hard for my money to fork it over to snake oil salesmen.

^^^This!

Yes what they just said!! :laugh: But drinking losts of water and eating fresh fruits and vegetable and foods with nor preservatives for a while always make you feel better and help our organs work better.

MrsCon40

p.s. did anyone else in this thread provide your "PEER REVIEWED CLINICAL STUDIES"? Did you ask anyone else to provide these?

Here is what the Mayo Clinic has to say on the efficacy of cleansing/detoxing...

Although doctors prescribe colon cleansing as preparation for medical procedures such as colonoscopy, most don't recommend colon cleansing for detoxification. Their reasoning is simple: Your digestive system and bowel naturally eliminate waste material and bacteria — your body doesn't need colon cleansing to do this.

In fact, colon cleansing can sometimes be harmful. The main concerns with colon cleansing are that it can:

* Increase your risk of dehydration
* Lead to bowel perforations
* Increase the risk of infection
* Cause a rise in your electrolytes, which can be dangerous if you have kidney disease or heart disease

Hmmmm.... who to believe?


http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/colon-cleansing/AN00065

Qarol

I did a 10 day cleanse I bought at walmart....

This just sounds all kinds of bad...Walmart?

oswaldbowser

You dont need any fancy powders, miracle pills etc etc....just buy some very good multi vitiman pills as your body is probably lacking at the moment due to previous bad food choices.

Spend more time shopping for vegetables than spending your time looking at all the marketing hype for miracle powders...and drink plenty and I mean plenty of water during the day.

I use a good quality protein powder with no sugar or carbs in it just as a snack replacement or to push up my calories, its cheap as it comes in a plastic sack with minimal packing......

mscoco10

You can try all natural things, fruit, veggies, etc. Do some research. Good luck !

skinnyjeanzbound

it changed my perspective on food in the long run. if i can live off of juice for 3 days i can put down the slice of pizza...

I agree--I did the Master Cleanse for 3 days before starting MFP, but NOT b/c I thought it was some magical way to rid my body of toxins or to lose weight. I did it as a fast to retrain my brain/stomach to know when I am truly hungry as I was a "boredom" eater. It really can change your perspective on food--that 1st month or so of calorie reduction were a lot easier b/c my limited calories felt like a feast compared to "lemonade."

As a side-note, I did NOT notice any (ahem) "cleansing" occurring over those 3 days--which supports those who say cleanses don't really work for that purpose.

As someone else said--you'll get all kinds of opinions on this sight--bottom line is, as long as it's not for any extended period of time and you are healthy in other respects, it's probably fine to try a cleanse if that's what YOU want to do. It may be a waste of money, it may not. You may get some benefit from it, you may not.

ilookthetype

I find that the best cleanse before starting a diet is cleaning out my fridge and using lots of Simple Green until it's fresh and clean smelling and ready to receive delicious, wholesome whole foods!!

My liver and kidneys do a great job on their own when I drink sufficient water!

:flowerforyou:

Little Miss Helpful...

yary317

Day before I start a " diet " I detox my body
Light breakfast, green salad for lunch, fast for 5 hours then drink
2 cups of Senna Tea back to back...

Hope this help!

MCDKI

HI
I did a 7 day cleanse diet , 3 vitamins a day with veg +++++ and white protein(fish and chicken)
I had protein drink daily for breakfast .

I lost 5 lbs in the week and lost all my cravings for sweets and carbs.....it really worked for me

give it a try
:happy:

JulieSD

I just think this to myself...'would I tell my daughters to do it or would I tell them to eat their fruits and veggies and be a healthy human being'?

I would never tell my daughters to just drink juice or eat pills or suck on lemons (trying for funny) for an attempted healthy life style.

So, when does it change? Where does it become acceptable for adults to put crazy things in our bodies in the name of health or weight loss when we would tell our children its crazy?

This is just what I do. I'm not trying to be rude or nasty.

ninerbuff

I just think this to myself...'would I tell my daughters to do it or would I tell them to eat their fruits and veggies and be a healthy human being'?

I would never tell my daughters to just drink juice or eat pills or suck on lemons (trying for funny) for an attempted healthy life style.

So, when does it change? Where does it become acceptable for adults to put crazy things in our bodies in the name of health or weight loss when we would tell our children its crazy?

This is just what I do. I'm not trying to be rude or nasty.

This! If you wouldn't let your kids smoke, then why should you? It has nothing to do with maturity like sex, it's about what you're doing to your body.

Lyadeia

I just wanted to add to this topic briefly since someone chimed in with the Shakeology cleanse...

I honestly believe that Beachbody did a MAJOR DISSERVICE to themselves, their customers, and their coaches by introducing the Shakeology Cleanse once they saw how popular the product is on its own. I personally have been a coach since 2007...and I also drink Shakeology as a snack because I love the taste, it's easy to prepare, and it eliminates the need to swallow a horse pill vitamin because of the goodness in it. However, on the topic of "cleansing" and "detoxifying" I think it's horrid that someone would take a healthy meal replacement...and have only that 3 times a day plus a salad with a little chicken (which is exactly the Shakeology Cleanse protocol which is, gasp, less than 800 calories per day for 3 straight days!)

When Shakeology was first released, it was advertised and marketed because of the probiotics, digestic enzymes, etc. it was supposed to naturally enhance your body's GI and kdney tract functions simply by replacing a normal snack or meal with Shakeology. Lots of people tried it and confirmed their claims that, hey, this stuff is healthy and has positive affects on your body. And then, they came up with this "great" idea of starving yourself with less than 800 calories consisting of 3 shakes, a salad with a lean protein, and possibly 1-2 pieces of fruit for 3 days as a way to remove "toxins" from your body. SMH. It's one of the reasons why even though I am a Beachbody coach, not many people on this website know about it because it is quite frankly EMBARRASSING that a company that supposedly helps people get healthy would introduce something like this simply to keep up with the latest fad in the weight loss industry.

Contrary to popular cleansers' thought, our colons aren't toxic carrying around years of undigested crud. Yeah, maybe things have slowed down because you are eating processed garbage...but your body doesn't need something special that includes eating loooow calories or juices or shakes to correct this. It needs exactly what it was made to use...real healthy food and water. This is what your body needs to function correctly. Eat right, drink water...that's all you need.

Of course people lose weight on the Shakeology Cleanse...they are starving themselves for 3 straight days! I would lose a hell of a lot of weight too if I cut out 600 calories from my diet for half a week. But it would have little to do with what I was actually eating and a great deal with the fact that I wasn't eating anywhere near my BMR.

I love my Shakeology, don't get me wrong...but I totally disagree with using it as a "cleanse." Just like I love lifting weights...but totally disagree with dumbing it down to a "shake weight."