21 day juice fast

iRebel

Good idea or bad?

I would add protein powder to the juice.

iRebel

anyone?

1nsanity

it will be incredibly hard to hold up for 21 days, and you will more than likely gain most of the weight back. might as well feed and fuel your body the right way and lose weight steadily.

mamaswiss

Im not a dietician or anything like that but I dont think just having one thing for 21 days sounds like a healthy way to lose weight no matter what it is.

Maybe if you use the juices that have fruit/vegetable blends and add the protein powders it would cover several of the food groups, might be a way to do it.

dad106

Fasts do nothing for you.. so yes, bad idea.

stfuriada

Quick/fad diets are unsustainable.

Sure you might drop the weight, but the moment you get back to solid food, if you haven't trained your body to eat at a deficit and burn calories, you're just gonna balloon back up.

Proper diet/lifestyle change > fad diets.

iRebel

I know, I just keep looking for a quick way out of this fat. *sigh* I have heard of people dropping lots of weight, though.

lean4life2

bad idea :noway:

lizziebeth1028

Diarrhea comes to mind

lean4life2

oh they will drop it but it will come RIGHT back

JoniBologna

Bad idea. There is no quick, easy, and permanent solution. Get to work.

dad106

I know, I just keep looking for a quick way out of this fat. *sigh* I have heard of people dropping lots of weight, though.

There is no quick way. Every last person on this post fights everyday to lose weight and do it the proper way.

I'm sure people do drop lots of weight..and then gain it back as soon as they finish.

Eat at a deficit, exercise and you'll be fine.

NamibianRose

After watching Fat, Sick and Nearly dead, a juice fast sounded like the best thing ever lol. I think I got to day 13? 14? 15? I don't recall now (this was last summer). Everyone says, oh after the first 3 days/first week, you don't feel hungry anymore and it's easy.

That was NOT the case for me, the first week was pretty easy for me, then it just went downhill. I was SOOO hungry I spent most of the day at work fantasizing about food, even just eating fruits or veggies...ANYTHING. Then I felt nauseous, shaky, head-achy and the such all the time. So I just gave up. It definitely wasn't worth it. The only upside to it was my skin looked fantastic. Loved the juices though! I will juice some veggies for pure enjoyment of the juice once in a while, but never again will I ever try to fast. Bleh. Terrible.

Goal_Line

terrible idea, don;t do it, change your lifestyle

Nessiechickie

I use to be big on the "biggest next best thing" for weight loss, but those quick use diets sound easy for a reason... they don't work. In all honestly they just made me fatter from all the binging.

lizziebeth1028

I posted this earlier today regarding gimmicky diets -


This is an article written by Harley Pasternak regarding gimmick diets and why they don't work!! Wise words!!!

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20606856,00.html


Fact: Everyone wants to look and feel better as quickly as possible.

Whether weight loss, toning, muscle gain, posture, or improved health, we all want it and we want it now. Sadly, the methods used by many of us don't work, and often can lead to the opposite results.

No other sphere of wellness symbolizes this more than dieting.

If I had a penny for every client who's told me of an outrageous eating plan they've tried, with amazing results in the first few days, only to eventually gain it all back – and then some – well ... let's just say I'd have a lot of pennies!

I thought it may be helpful to compile a list of the most absolutely useless diets ever created, for those of you out there who've suffered through one or more of these.

• The HCG Diet
The Idea: This plan calls for daily injections/pill/drops of the hormone HCG (found in the urine of pregnant women), and couples it with a daily caloric intake of just 500 calories!

The Truth: Such a low intake of calories is very dangerous. Just to survive with minimal to no activity, a small woman would need at least 1,000 calories to maintain health and proper body function. Users of this diet will lose dramatic amounts of weight from starving themselves, but will gain it all (and more) back when normal eating resumes.

If your doctor tries to sell you on this program, please report them to the state medical board.

• The Master Cleanse – or any Cleanse
The Idea: Chugging maple syrup or cayenne goop or expensive juice delivery services can "cleanse" our organs, reboot our metabolism, help us grow better hair, and have stronger nails – why not throw in "win the Nobel Prize" and "win the lottery?"

The Truth: The idea of limiting yourself to a regimen of liquid sugar (void of fiber, protein or healthy fats) to flush out toxins is not only painful, it's actually dangerous! In fact, I've seen more people get fatter following faux cleanses than any other bad diet. I can safely say that the vast majority of us in the scientific community agree that the notion of a nutritional scrub is nothing more than "highly profitable fiction." It's more of a symbolic gesture than a physical one.

Harley's Kickoff Blog Tip: Walk 10,000 Steps to Get Fit

• The Fat-Free Diet
The Idea: Eat all the protein and carbs you want. If your diet contains no fat, you won't get fat.

The Truth: While it's true that extra fat in your diet adds calories, just sticking to foods touted as fat-free isn't the answer. In fact, every bit of scientific research supports the exact opposite. Diets without any fat actually promote fat gain. Healthy dietary fats are essential to healthy weight loss.

• The Snack-Pack Diet
The Idea: Cookies and chips sorted into 100-calorie packs help limit the damage from an attack of the munchies.

The Truth: While 100-calorie snack pack foods on the market now may offer a lower-calorie alternative, most are far from healthy. Most lack fiber and protein, which can send you running for another bag or something less healthy. One hundred calories of broccoli and 100 calories of candy are not equal.

• The Cookie Diet/Lemon Diet/Cabbage Diet
The Idea: to focus on eating one specific magical ingredient with every meal is the key to losing weight.

The Truth: Not sure I really need to break this down. Suffice to say, the only reason anyone would lose weight (short term) on these silly eating schemes, is they are cutting down their calories. Not because of the secret ingredient!

iRebel

After watching Fat, Sick and Nearly dead, a juice fast sounded like the best thing ever lol. I think I got to day 13? 14? 15? I don't recall now (this was last summer). Everyone says, oh after the first 3 days/first week, you don't feel hungry anymore and it's easy.

That was NOT the case for me, the first week was pretty easy for me, then it just went downhill. I was SOOO hungry I spent most of the day at work fantasizing about food, even just eating fruits or veggies...ANYTHING. Then I felt nauseous, shaky, head-achy and the such all the time. So I just gave up. It definitely wasn't worth it. The only upside to it was my skin looked fantastic. Loved the juices though! I will juice some veggies for pure enjoyment of the juice once in a while, but never again will I ever try to fast. Bleh. Terrible.

yeah, that video inspired me as well. I only lasted 4-5 days last time.

Heyman09

I don't do a complete juice fast but I do drink a fresh juice at least 2 to 3 times a day.

infamousmk

The documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead is a hype piece!!! Not only does it only show the results of two very specific cases, but it doesn't really give you all of the information needed to understand exactly how they were living on juice for 60 days (they weren't, they also had beans for protein). Don't get all of your science from the teevee, folks!


Juice fasts aren't any better for your weight loss efforts than exercising and maintaining a moderate calorie deficit.

LadyIntrepid

There are lots of folks who believe that juice fasts are excellent for your overall health, but really shouldn't be used if your primary goal is weight loss. It's about a bigger picture. If you do decide to do one, I'd suggest starting with a much shorter period of time and make sure it's supervised by someone who has led juice fasts and has impeccable references, or even in a group workshop setting. Also, many "juice" fasts actually include some kind of grains. Do your homework before committing to it, make sure you're in good enough health (checking with your doctor), and again, don't do it on your own or only for weight loss.

verykristin

I bet if you juiced for one meal a day you would see results. 21 days of nothing but juice is extreme and really not good for you. If you are looking for a good cleanse, try the Standard Process Cleanse. It's entirely plant-based, and includes supplements and a protein powder for smoothies. It's balanced and good for your body and helps you change your lifestyle.

jlmoses91

Bad idea! Even if you are adding protein you are literally just eating sugar for 21 days! Plus you will likely gain it back, Be careful!

13inchestogo

If you are going to fast or cleanse your body, do it for your intestines sake of taking a rest from all the crap we normally shove in there. To do a fast or cleanse for weight loss, although tempting, never ends well unfortunately. If you go into the fast with the right mindset, like wanting to rest your mind and organs and just getting in tune with yourself and differentiating true hunger from cravings or false hunger then I would say go for it. It really helped me to understand when my body needed nutrition and when I was just being a pansy *kitten* who wanted to shove chips into her mouth.

Key thing I believe when doing a fast is listen to your body. Some people have no problem with fasting for 10, 20, 30 days even. It is possible. But don't push yourself into anything your body isnt ready for

I would start out with a clean diet for a couple weeks then if you still want to do a fast start with a juice fast for a short duration of time. You can blend spinach into your juice! Make all different kinds, your body can easily get essential nutrients to sustain itself for a short period of time through healthy fresh juices.

Something I would reccommend (NOT on a daily basis) is the salt water flush. Look it up if your interested. It's a natural way to clean out your intestines just make sure to do it properly and not very often. Be warned don't leave the house a couple hours after you've done it. For real...

Good luck

katmariew

Any fast is a bad idea.

iRebel

If you are going to fast or cleanse your body, do it for your intestines sake of taking a rest from all the crap we normally shove in there. To do a fast or cleanse for weight loss, although tempting, never ends well unfortunately. If you go into the fast with the right mindset, like wanting to rest your mind and organs and just getting in tune with yourself and differentiating true hunger from cravings or false hunger then I would say go for it. It really helped me to understand when my body needed nutrition and when I was just being a pansy *kitten* who wanted to shove chips into her mouth.

Key thing I believe when doing a fast is listen to your body. Some people have no problem with fasting for 10, 20, 30 days even. It is possible. But don't push yourself into anything your body isnt ready for

I would start out with a clean diet for a couple weeks then if you still want to do a fast start with a juice fast for a short duration of time. You can blend spinach into your juice! Make all different kinds, your body can easily get essential nutrients to sustain itself for a short period of time through healthy fresh juices.

Something I would reccommend (NOT on a daily basis) is the salt water flush. Look it up if your interested. It's a natural way to clean out your intestines just make sure to do it properly and not very often. Be warned don't leave the house a couple hours after you've done it. For real...

Good luck

thank you for this post. do you think that juice fasting might heal one from binging- or compound the issue

sanjoparolas

I disagree with most of the responses here. I did a juice fast for about 5 days back in February. I didn't experience any bad effects, lost weight and felt great. I have since changed my diet to a primarily whole foods, plant based diet and feel that the juice fast gave me a jump start and changed my cravings. I haven't gained any of the weight back. I still enjoy freshly-juiced produce regularly. I thought I had a pretty healthy diet before, but now feel I was lacking in the benefits that a large volume of produce can bring. I don't have any direct experience of fasting for 21 days though.

There is a group on this site specific to juice fasting, you can find it from doing a search. There you can read about the experiences of people who have tried this.

iRebel

I disagree with most of the responses here. I did a juice fast for about 5 days back in February. I didn't experience any bad effects, lost weight and felt great. I have since changed my diet to a primarily whole foods, plant based diet and feel that the juice fast gave me a jump start and changed my cravings. I haven't gained any of the weight back. I still enjoy freshly-juiced produce regularly. I thought I had a pretty healthy diet before, but now feel I was lacking in the benefits that a large volume of produce can bring. I don't have any direct experience of fasting for 21 days though.

THANK YOU!!!

sanjoparolas

You're welcome. After you replied to my post, I edited it to add this information that you might find helpful:

"There is a group on this site specific to juice fasting, you can find it from doing a search. There you can read about the experiences of people who have tried this."

rainbowbow

I love how you clearly just want some self justification here. Do whatever you want to do. Don't ask for opinions and then only listen to the ones that you feel support you.

The fact of the matter is... you could just change your diet and eating habits and be done with it... juicing or fasting isn't going to "kick start your weight loss" or anything else. OR more importantly, teach you proper eating habits and be sustainable. Thats why I personally wouldn't do it.

But hey, do whatever you want to do

iRebel

You're welcome. After you replied to my post, I edited it to add this information that you might find helpful:

"There is a group on this site specific to juice fasting, you can find it from doing a search. There you can read about the experiences of people who have tried this."

what group?

kennethmgreen

I love how you clearly just want some self justification here. Do whatever you want to do. Don't ask for opinions and then only listen to the ones that you feel support you.

The fact of the matter is... you could just change your diet and eating habits and be done with it... juicing or fasting isn't going to "kick start your weight loss" or anything else. OR more importantly, teach you proper eating habits and be sustainable. Thats why I personally wouldn't do it.

But hey, do whatever you want to do

I agree with what you said and your square black head, rainbowbow.

You're not really surprised someone posted a seemingly neutral question (just looking for information) on MFP, and then turned out to have an agenda/intention already planned and was simply looking for justification, are you?

OP - your profile mentions BMR, TDEE and states you are not into starvation diets. Are you planning on maintaining your goal of 1688 cals on juice and beans? For how long?