juice fast

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  • sgtlee13
    sgtlee13 Posts: 66
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    I saw the same movie and was really impressed by his results also. I completely understand that point that you aren't going to sustain yourself on nothing but juice for the rest of your life so why bother doing a fast like this but it has such incredible benefits (not just weight loss) that I absolutely recommend it as something to incorporate into your life in general even if you don't do the fast.

    I agree that living on nothing but juice is a bit extreme but after watching the same movie, I liked the idea of juicing and did a ton of research on it. it is a great way to get a ton of nutrients, both micro- and macro- that your body needs. The process of juicing allows you to take in more fruit and vegetables than most normal people would be able to in a day and the nutrients are more readily available to your body as they are already "broken down". Add to that the fact that everything you're now eating is raw and the nutrients in our foods are even more available as they haven't been cooked out of everything.

    I didn't do the standard fast but I did incorporate juicing into my regular diet. For 10 days, I made a juice for both breakfast and dinner and then had a decent lunch (lean plant based protein, etc.). Fruit based juice in the AM, vegetable in the PM. Our bodies digest fruits and vegetables differently so I didn't combine the 2. It may sound stupid to many of you but I felt INCREDIBLE. I was honestly in a much better mood, had so much more energy, my skin looked better, I was amazed.

    Again, I don't know that I would do a complete fast, especially a 60 day one like in the movie, I know people who have and still are and have gotten great results. I realize our bodies "aren't video games" but I do think we can reset them. Especially after a period of eating crappy food or living with poor eating habits. If you do a fast intelligently and drink the right amount of water, etc. it can help get rid of some of the junk in our bodies that accumulates over time if our diets are less than stellar. What I personally like about some types of fast is that it kind of resets my brain and my habits. Instead of grabbing something here and there when I feel like it, it forces me to retrain myself to be aware of what and when I'm eating.

    After the first 10 days, I switched to an AM fruit based juice and healthy meals for the other 2 plus added a morning and an afternoon snack and have been sticking to that ever since (about a month or so now). I still feel great, and have become much more cognizant about food and eating in general.

    I wouldn't do it just for weight loss, it isn't a fad diet, its kind of a lifestyle change. I know people who have done the full-on fast and most complained of headaches, lethargy, some nausea the first few days with resolution and feeling great afterwards so be aware of what you may experience if you decide to do this. Also, obvisously I don't have a clue about what your diet is now but n't go from a McDonalds, steak and potatoes kind of diet one day to a complete juice fast the next; ease into it. If you currently eat meat, take that our of your diet first along with dairy; add more fruits and veggies to your diet at the same time.

    Whatever you decide to do, good luck to you!
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    I saw the same movie and was really impressed by his results also. I completely understand that point that you aren't going to sustain yourself on nothing but juice for the rest of your life so why bother doing a fast like this but it has such incredible benefits (not just weight loss) that I absolutely recommend it as something to incorporate into your life in general even if you don't do the fast.

    I agree that living on nothing but juice is a bit extreme but after watching the same movie, I liked the idea of juicing and did a ton of research on it. it is a great way to get a ton of nutrients, both micro- and macro- that your body needs. The process of juicing allows you to take in more fruit and vegetables than most normal people would be able to in a day and the nutrients are more readily available to your body as they are already "broken down". Add to that the fact that everything you're now eating is raw and the nutrients in our foods are even more available as they haven't been cooked out of everything.

    I didn't do the standard fast but I did incorporate juicing into my regular diet. For 10 days, I made a juice for both breakfast and dinner and then had a decent lunch (lean plant based protein, etc.). Fruit based juice in the AM, vegetable in the PM. Our bodies digest fruits and vegetables differently so I didn't combine the 2. It may sound stupid to many of you but I felt INCREDIBLE. I was honestly in a much better mood, had so much more energy, my skin looked better, I was amazed.

    Again, I don't know that I would do a complete fast, especially a 60 day one like in the movie, I know people who have and still are and have gotten great results. I realize our bodies "aren't video games" but I do think we can reset them. Especially after a period of eating crappy food or living with poor eating habits. If you do a fast intelligently and drink the right amount of water, etc. it can help get rid of some of the junk in our bodies that accumulates over time if our diets are less than stellar. What I personally like about some types of fast is that it kind of resets my brain and my habits. Instead of grabbing something here and there when I feel like it, it forces me to retrain myself to be aware of what and when I'm eating.

    After the first 10 days, I switched to an AM fruit based juice and healthy meals for the other 2 plus added a morning and an afternoon snack and have been sticking to that ever since (about a month or so now). I still feel great, and have become much more cognizant about food and eating in general.

    I wouldn't do it just for weight loss, it isn't a fad diet, its kind of a lifestyle change. I know people who have done the full-on fast and most complained of headaches, lethargy, some nausea the first few days with resolution and feeling great afterwards so be aware of what you may experience if you decide to do this. Also, obvisously I don't have a clue about what your diet is now but n't go from a McDonalds, steak and potatoes kind of diet one day to a complete juice fast the next; ease into it. If you currently eat meat, take that our of your diet first along with dairy; add more fruits and veggies to your diet at the same time.

    Whatever you decide to do, good luck to you!

    This is my issue with juicing. It pushes the idea that meat is unhealthy for you. Meat isn't bad for you by any means. To eliminate a whole category of foods is unnecessary and the fact that meat is the quickest way to get protein, which is probably the most important macro nutrient. For example, I looked at your diary - I am not trying to invade or make attacks so I hope you don't perceive it at that - but most days, you barely consume 1200 calories and to expand to your macronutrients, you barely hit 30g of protein a day. Ideally, to help sustain lean body mass, you need to aim for 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. And as you age, it becomes a lot easier to lose muscle mass. So if your diary demonstrates the typical juicer, I would suggest that this lifestyle can make long term sustainment and health worse as you are macro-deficient.

    Overall, you can be healthy with juicing and losing weight is probably the bigger reason you feel better, but if you sustain calories at 20% less than TDEE, juicing will not provide you any greater benefit. Like many of us suggest, juice is neither better nor worse than any other diet, it's just unnecessary. I firmly believe that managing you macro nutrients is much more important to following a specific diet plan. Because for me, maintaining my muscle is extremely important. The more muscle you have, the leaner and tighter your body will be and the less weight you need to lose to achieve that.

    I think it's awesome that you have great success with juicing, but I will caution you that not all weight loss is equal. Fat loss > weight loss (fat + lbm).
  • erinlibke
    erinlibke Posts: 144 Member
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    Ahh, people are so quick to judge and think they have all the answers just because they read and article or two and are stuck in their ways.

    I also watched the documentary and found the results amazing, especially for curing so many health problems. Made me want to look into juicing more. I found another documentary "Hungry for Change" (Not funded by any weight loss schemes or magic diets). It talks about how as a society we are eating in a completely unnatural way. Humans have never before been subjected to so many lab-created foods which are void of nutrients and pumped full of refined sugars, MSG (contained in 80% of all processed and packaged foods!!!! But it can be listed as over 50 different names such as whey protein isolate), and countless chemicals. Its natural for us to be hunter/gatherers and go through periods of fasting (which rarely happens anymore). Our bodies optimally survive on foods high in nutrients and low in calories, whereas today we gorge on high calorie low nutrient foods so our bodies keep crying out for more to try an fulfil the lack of nutrients.

    Why does filling our bodies and cells with a macro-nutrient diet seem like such a bad idea? Juicing can provide this. Doesn't have to be forever or exclusively. But the more good stuff we put into our bodies, the less room there is for all the bad **** out there.
  • ercarroll311
    ercarroll311 Posts: 295 Member
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    Try to make lifestyle changes rather than 10 day fad diets.

    Your losses will probably be mostly water and muscle rather than fat.

    ^^^Absolutely. You're less likely to maintain it, and you'll most likely end up back where you started. Immediate results on the scale are nice, but ultimately being healthy and looking better are going to require long term diet and exercise changes. If you're looking for kind of a "detox" effect, most people don't require more than drinking lots of water, staying away from fast food, maybe doing some green tea and cranberry juice.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,397 MFP Moderator
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    Ahh, people are so quick to judge and think they have all the answers just because they read and article or two and are stuck in their ways.

    I also watched the documentary and found the results amazing, especially for curing so many health problems. Made me want to look into juicing more. I found another documentary "Hungry for Change" (Not funded by any weight loss schemes or magic diets). It talks about how as a society we are eating in a completely unnatural way. Humans have never before been subjected to so many lab-created foods which are void of nutrients and pumped full of refined sugars, MSG (contained in 80% of all processed and packaged foods!!!! But it can be listed as over 50 different names such as whey protein isolate), and countless chemicals. Its natural for us to be hunter/gatherers and go through periods of fasting (which rarely happens anymore). Our bodies optimally survive on foods high in nutrients and low in calories, whereas today we gorge on high calorie low nutrient foods so our bodies keep crying out for more to try an fulfil the lack of nutrients.

    Why does filling our bodies and cells with a macro-nutrient diet seem like such a bad idea? Juicing can provide this. Doesn't have to be forever or exclusively. But the more good stuff we put into our bodies, the less room there is for all the bad **** out there.

    First, keep in mind this is a public forum, so everyone will have an opinion. Just because it doesn't align to yours doesn't mean it's judging. And you don't have to try something to understand if it's good or bad. If you understand the principles of science and nutrition, you can understand the affect. For example, I don't need to cocaine to know it's not good for a body.


    Also, I am pretty sure no one here said that juicing was bad for you nor did any of us advocate to eat tons of processed/fake foods. What many of us are saying, is you don't need to go extreme and just start a juice diet for XX numbers of days. Juicing itself will not provide a greater benefit over conventional calorie counting. Weight loss alone is what will improve health. But I bet you can look at my diary and you will see tons of calorie dense, nutrient packed foods and i eat 2500 calories a day. And like I mentioned before, I do not advocate anything that over restrict calories or macro nutrients. Active people shouldn't be eating 1200 calories over extended periods of time. It just causes issues; like depletion of lean body mass.
  • iLoveMyAR15
    iLoveMyAR15 Posts: 122 Member
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    I have nothing new to add that hasn't already been said, sorry
  • cmeiron
    cmeiron Posts: 1,599 Member
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    I have researched the topic enough to know two things.

    1) Humans need food.

    2) Human adults need solid food.

    Biology wins over superfluous ideas of cleansing and restarting habits that need to be kept up on regardless.

    5lufyw.gif
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    Will you be under medical supervision, like the fasters in the film?
  • LesaLu4
    LesaLu4 Posts: 83
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    Bump
  • mrspinky85
    mrspinky85 Posts: 79 Member
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    I totally tried this and it was an epic fail. Not only is my juicer in the corner collecting dust, I still have the picture of my first glass. The juice fast is appealing with its results and it seems easy that you just have to drink. However, for me, as much as I love food there were too many temptations, hunger pains, and headaches. The work that went into trying to do the juice fast was undone the minute I put real food in my mouth.

    I say if you can do all the work that goes into the juice fast, then you can put that effort into long term diet and exercise plans.
  • EDesq
    EDesq Posts: 1,527 Member
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    Well, I will be starting My Green Juice Fast tomorrow. Over the last 3 years I have lost over 100 lbs. and changed My Lifestyle and way of eating...and the way I see food. I need to have a hip replacement and not only need to drop lbs but I want to be in optimal health to get the BEST possible outcome>>>Before and After the surgery.

    I think well meaning people mean well, but many people will do things out of NECESSITY. Some people have conditions where they MUST drop lbs, fast...when that is the case, DO what you NEED to do to Live and/or get the Best Results. If I had another year or so to drop 50 lbs. I would go that route...but here's the thing, The BODY does NOT go by the wt loss "formulas" (calories in/calories out). So you can do all the math and planning you want to but it won't work, if so I would have been to "goal range" over 6 months ago. So I've done a "reset" and will begin the Fast tomorrow. If a Fast is just something you want to "try" for the experience...Do It, it Can NOT hurt, as long as you know that you STILL MUST learn how to eat "Right" and Master your food intake! If fact Fasting 2-4 times a year is THE Best thing you can Do for your BODY! Many people in the "West" don't "get it" and look what "our" eating habits are doing to the world! We need to be learning from the "East" about dietary habits, portion size, activity, mind and spirit calmness.

    Do your fast, see what results...but remember, Fasting also Means fasting the mind and spirit. And for those who have conditions where they MUST Fast for health reasons...get to it, No ONE can tell you what you need. OH, and Fasting IS SUSTAINABLE. I know many people who Fast at least 3 times a week, and they are some of the healthiest people around, work everyday, have high activity levels and you would never know that they are Fasting>>>Happy!

    I wish you the Best with your Fast!
  • sunzelle
    sunzelle Posts: 7 Member
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    I saw the same movie and was really impressed by his results also. I completely understand that point that you aren't going to sustain yourself on nothing but juice for the rest of your life so why bother doing a fast like this but it has such incredible benefits (not just weight loss) that I absolutely recommend it as something to incorporate into your life in general even if you don't do the fast.

    I agree that living on nothing but juice is a bit extreme but after watching the same movie, I liked the idea of juicing and did a ton of research on it. it is a great way to get a ton of nutrients, both micro- and macro- that your body needs. The process of juicing allows you to take in more fruit and vegetables than most normal people would be able to in a day and the nutrients are more readily available to your body as they are already "broken down". Add to that the fact that everything you're now eating is raw and the nutrients in our foods are even more available as they haven't been cooked out of everything.

    I didn't do the standard fast but I did incorporate juicing into my regular diet. For 10 days, I made a juice for both breakfast and dinner and then had a decent lunch (lean plant based protein, etc.). Fruit based juice in the AM, vegetable in the PM. Our bodies digest fruits and vegetables differently so I didn't combine the 2. It may sound stupid to many of you but I felt INCREDIBLE. I was honestly in a much better mood, had so much more energy, my skin looked better, I was amazed.

    Again, I don't know that I would do a complete fast, especially a 60 day one like in the movie, I know people who have and still are and have gotten great results. I realize our bodies "aren't video games" but I do think we can reset them. Especially after a period of eating crappy food or living with poor eating habits. If you do a fast intelligently and drink the right amount of water, etc. it can help get rid of some of the junk in our bodies that accumulates over time if our diets are less than stellar. What I personally like about some types of fast is that it kind of resets my brain and my habits. Instead of grabbing something here and there when I feel like it, it forces me to retrain myself to be aware of what and when I'm eating.

    After the first 10 days, I switched to an AM fruit based juice and healthy meals for the other 2 plus added a morning and an afternoon snack and have been sticking to that ever since (about a month or so now). I still feel great, and have become much more cognizant about food and eating in general.

    I wouldn't do it just for weight loss, it isn't a fad diet, its kind of a lifestyle change. I know people who have done the full-on fast and most complained of headaches, lethargy, some nausea the first few days with resolution and feeling great afterwards so be aware of what you may experience if you decide to do this. Also, obvisously I don't have a clue about what your diet is now but n't go from a McDonalds, steak and potatoes kind of diet one day to a complete juice fast the next; ease into it. If you currently eat meat, take that our of your diet first along with dairy; add more fruits and veggies to your diet at the same time.

    Whatever you decide to do, good luck to you!

    This is my issue with juicing. It pushes the idea that meat is unhealthy for you. Meat isn't bad for you by any means. To eliminate a whole category of foods is unnecessary and the fact that meat is the quickest way to get protein, which is probably the most important macro nutrient. For example, I looked at your diary - I am not trying to invade or make attacks so I hope you don't perceive it at that - but most days, you barely consume 1200 calories and to expand to your macronutrients, you barely hit 30g of protein a day. Ideally, to help sustain lean body mass, you need to aim for 1g of protein per lb of lean body mass. And as you age, it becomes a lot easier to lose muscle mass. So if your diary demonstrates the typical juicer, I would suggest that this lifestyle can make long term sustainment and health worse as you are macro-deficient.

    Overall, you can be healthy with juicing and losing weight is probably the bigger reason you feel better, but if you sustain calories at 20% less than TDEE, juicing will not provide you any greater benefit. Like many of us suggest, juice is neither better nor worse than any other diet, it's just unnecessary. I firmly believe that managing you macro nutrients is much more important to following a specific diet plan. Because for me, maintaining my muscle is extremely important. The more muscle you have, the leaner and tighter your body will be and the less weight you need to lose to achieve that.

    I think it's awesome that you have great success with juicing, but I will caution you that not all weight loss is equal. Fat loss > weight loss (fat + lbm).

    There are many cultures that do not eat meat. Not to mention vegetarians, and vegans. Nobody needs meat. There are plenty of plant based protein that provide just as much protein as meat, and are very healthy for you. There are also many fruits and vegetables that offer the same benefit as dairy. Just sayin...
  • charman99
    charman99 Posts: 88 Member
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    It works if you can stick to it for the amount of time... but it is VERY costly and you have to be able to stomach mostly veggie juice rather than fruit juice. I tried it and in the beginning I was ok but I am super picky and the veggie juice gagged me.
  • sammichPG
    sammichPG Posts: 30
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    QIhAh.gif

    No good can come from faddy juice "diets".

    Stick to calorie deficits and moderate, regular exercise and the weight will come off in a healthy way.

    exactly my face when
  • Jonesie1984
    Jonesie1984 Posts: 612 Member
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    wouldn't recommended it. Don't starve. Don't binge. Eat right. Exercise. Results will come.
  • dangerxbadger
    dangerxbadger Posts: 396 Member
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    A lot of people seem to be putting juicing down, but I have seen the documentary she is referring to, and it is very compelling. He actually does a juice fast for over a month, if I remember correctly, and then switches easily to eating vegan to keep the weight off. He cures himself of several chronic health problems and is a happier healthier person in the end.
    The problem is this: if he did not commit himself completely to exclusively juicing, he would not have had such amazing results. What he does in the movie takes a lot of will power. . . but so do many other things in life that may be worth doing.

    False. Had he committed himself to eating healthy FOOD, and began exercising, he would still have had amazing results. Just maybe not in the amount of time it takes to film and edit a movie...
  • sunzelle
    sunzelle Posts: 7 Member
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    Well, I will be starting My Green Juice Fast tomorrow. Over the last 3 years I have lost over 100 lbs. and changed My Lifestyle and way of eating...and the way I see food. I need to have a hip replacement and not only need to drop lbs but I want to be in optimal health to get the BEST possible outcome>>>Before and After the surgery.

    I think well meaning people mean well, but many people will do things out of NECESSITY. Some people have conditions where they MUST drop lbs, fast...when that is the case, DO what you NEED to do to Live and/or get the Best Results. If I had another year or so to drop 50 lbs. I would go that route...but here's the thing, The BODY does NOT go by the wt loss "formulas" (calories in/calories out). So you can do all the math and planning you want to but it won't work, if so I would have been to "goal range" over 6 months ago. So I've done a "reset" and will begin the Fast tomorrow. If a Fast is just something you want to "try" for the experience...Do It, it Can NOT hurt, as long as you know that you STILL MUST learn how to eat "Right" and Master your food intake! If fact Fasting 2-4 times a year is THE Best thing you can Do for your BODY! Many people in the "West" don't "get it" and look what "our" eating habits are doing to the world! We need to be learning from the "East" about dietary habits, portion size, activity, mind and spirit calmness.

    Do your fast, see what results...but remember, Fasting also Means fasting the mind and spirit. And for those who have conditions where they MUST Fast for health reasons...get to it, No ONE can tell you what you need. OH, and Fasting IS SUSTAINABLE. I know many people who Fast at least 3 times a week, and they are some of the healthiest people around, work everyday, have high activity levels and you would never know that they are Fasting>>>Happy!

    I wish you the Best with your Fast!

    I totally agree when you say that fasting includes your mind in spirit. I too, know many people who juice for health daily, and do the occasional fast, and they are very happy and energized people. One of them owns a local juice shop, and is a licensed nutritionist who offers guided detoxes for customers. It's a wonderful experience, and not just for weight loss. I see absolutely nothing wrong with people doing it when they want to clean their body from all the garbage they've been eating, or if they need to lose weight fast for special circumstances. I wish you the best of luck on your fast, and surgery.
  • squatsandlipgloss
    squatsandlipgloss Posts: 595 Member
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    Sure, juice fasts are amazing for the lazy. But I'd rather be healthy and get off my butt.
  • sunzelle
    sunzelle Posts: 7 Member
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    Sure, juice fasts are amazing for the lazy. But I'd rather be healthy and get off my butt.

    Yes, one must always remain on their butt while juicing.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
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    Sure, juice fasts are amazing for the lazy. But I'd rather be healthy and get off my butt.

    Yes, one must always remain on their butt while juicing.

    The idea is that pure juice diets do not require work to figure out proper eating habits. That's lazy in the sense that you are putting off something that you will need to confront and learn eventually.