Off a Juice Fast - learning how to eat again

Ezdinero
Ezdinero Posts: 5 Member
edited January 20 in Health and Weight Loss
My wife and I just finished a 60 day juice fast and we're learning how to eat all over again. With the juice fast, I lost 60+ lbs in 2 months and i wanted to get off it so I can focus on eating again and training with weights to tighten up some of the loose skin that has accumulated.

Since the end of the fast, i've pretty much maintained for 4 days and i'm starting to get worried that i might be taking in too many calories (although i've been under my caloric intake through the app) and i'm not going to be losing anymore :/

Any advice?

Replies

  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    Congratulations on massive results. I worry that you lost some muscle mass which will lower your resting metabolic rate. I'm thrilled to hear that you're going to start resistance training. If you don't have a program yet, look up stronglifts 5x5.

    As far as how to eat goes, please read this short post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,489 Member
    How much of that was muscle?
    How much of that was muscle?
    Again, how much of that was muscle?
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    How much of that was muscle?
    How much of that was muscle?
    Again, how much of that was muscle?

    ^ While this might not seem nice, the importance of the message is this: if people see that they can lose sixty pounds in two months, they'll think it's a brilliant idea. But the adverse effects of losing 20 or 30 pounds of lean body mass is very hard to overstate.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    If anything, please keep this thread alive... so we can point everyone to it that asks about juice fasts and how they plan on keeping it up forever.
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
    Agreed with the previous posters. Plus, you've slowed down your metabolism and will make it easier to gain a lot of weight really fast eating normal again. You will need to slowly add calories until you get a "normal" caloric intake, and you will probably gain a few pounds in the process. But I'm sure it won't be close to the 60 you lost!
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Eat according to your hunger until your calories are back up to normal. Don't be surprised if your body reacts to the increase in calories by putting back on a few pounds until your metabolism gets sorted back out. Give it at least 6 weeks.

    If you want to loose more, eat a modest deficit. Here's a thread about calculating how many calories you need:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/937712-in-place-of-a-road-map-ver-3-0

    Definitely make sure you are strength training to hold on to whatever muscle you have left. If you want to tighten your loose skin (do consider that it takes upwards of 2 years for skin to bounce back) you will need to gain muscle. Depending on your body composition, you might need to eat a surplus of calories to accomplish that.

    ...That 60 day juice fast makes me want to throw things. Calorie dense things. Into the mouths of fasters.
    How much of that was muscle?
    How much of that was muscle?
    Again, how much of that was muscle?

    ^^^^^YEAP
  • notworthstalking
    notworthstalking Posts: 531 Member
    How much of that was muscle?
    How much of that was muscle?
    Again, how much of that was muscle?

    I agree. It will take your body a while to sort it's self out. I personally don't like juice fasts for the effect it can have on your digestive system. I know of a woman that does them every so often, while still doing a lot of weight exercises . From what I know, it's a one week kind of thing. Not my thing, but I think way is a better way. You need to only weigh your self once a week and look at it in about two months. I personally don't want to be skinny and weak. I seem to be skinny though, so always working on the strong part. Hopefully someone with more experience can help you and your wife transition to a healthier diet and lifestyle.
  • ILiftHeavyAcrylics
    ILiftHeavyAcrylics Posts: 27,732 Member
    Now that you're eating real food again you have to realize that that kind of fast weight loss isn't going to be the norm. 2 lbs a week is generally safe if you have a lot of weight to lose (75 lbs or more I think). 1 lb a week is more likely. It will probably take some time before you start to see losses again because your body will have to adjust to being fed again, so I wouldn't do anything to your calorie goal for at least a month.
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    I'll even add to this juice fast thing, all it really is a low calorie diet. I got sick with my digestive system. I was lucky if i ate 200 calories a day. Being on an extremely low calorie diet (like a juice fast). They are the same, a juice fast you re making the choice to do a VLCD(Very low calorie diet). Me I got sick, I had no choice.

    1 month result, I lost 25lbs. 19lbs of muscle 6lbs of fat.

    Bolded for emphasis. This sort of thing really matters. Pu didn't have a choice for medical reasons. But as a warning to anyone who thinks this approach to dieting is a good idea - - it just makes the road that much longer. You have to rebuild your muscle, and cut fat, and you're starting at a lower resting metabolic rate to do so.
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I can't believe any sane person would do this to their body
  • jofjltncb6
    jofjltncb6 Posts: 34,415 Member
    In to share this link with others who are contemplating a long-term juice fast.

    OP, I hope you have a successful outcome from all of this...but I predict the transition will be quite a challenge. (Any transition from a VLCalD to reasonable eating is.)
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    Yes it might take me years to rebuild what i lost in 1 month.

    And this is the most sobering thing I've read today.
  • trogalicious
    trogalicious Posts: 4,584 Member
    My sister did a lemon-water (with a little maple syrup) fast for thirty days, and she lost a lot of weight (maybe some muscle, but definitely a lot of fat). She didn't gain the weight back as soon as she started eating again, in fact she's only gained a bit of it back (several years later) due to having a baby.

    She didn't do the fast to lose weight though, she had started it because she was sick and after she got over being sick she still felt fine on the fast and kept it up until she felt like eating again, which was 30 days later. Anyway, it was nothing but good for her. I don't think fasting is necessarily for everyone, but some people bash it a lot. To each his own.

    Congrats on losing the weight.

    Sounds like the master cleanse... and the bolded part is for emphasis. I've never met anyone that wants to do that horrific and stupid thing for reasons other than to just lose weight.
  • BeachIron
    BeachIron Posts: 6,490 Member
    Have you already written your will, bought a plot and picked out a casket? You may want to get on that.
  • barrattandrew
    barrattandrew Posts: 148 Member
    I'll even add to this juice fast thing, all it really is a low calorie diet. I got sick with my digestive system. I was lucky if i ate 200 calories a day. Being on an extremely low calorie diet (like a juice fast). They are the same, a juice fast you re making the choice to do a VLCD(Very low calorie diet). Me I got sick, I had no choice.

    1 month result, I lost 25lbs. 19lbs of muscle 6lbs of fat.

    Bolded for emphasis. This sort of thing really matters. Pu didn't have a choice for medical reasons. But as a warning to anyone who thinks this approach to dieting is a good idea - - it just makes the road that much longer. You have to rebuild your muscle, and cut fat, and you're starting at a lower resting metabolic rate to do so.

    wow - how did you manage to calculate the amount of muscle lost? I'd really like to be able to check myself at somepoint.
  • quirkytizzy
    quirkytizzy Posts: 4,052 Member
    Juice fasts - especially long term ones - set up both the body and the mind for eventual disappointment. Not only can the fast weight loss not be sustained, but the body has a more difficult time dropping weight once solid food is introduced. The body goes "HOLY **** REAL FOOD HOLD ONTO THAT!"

    The positive is that you've come back to sensible eating and are looking for how to make it work long term. Do not drop your calorie level, this will only set your body up for more confusion. Continue to eat and eat well - your body will settle out eventually. And you'll be building positive eating habits to carry into the future.

    All will be well if you just treat your body nicely.
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    I'll even add to this juice fast thing, all it really is a low calorie diet. I got sick with my digestive system. I was lucky if i ate 200 calories a day. Being on an extremely low calorie diet (like a juice fast). They are the same, a juice fast you re making the choice to do a VLCD(Very low calorie diet). Me I got sick, I had no choice.

    1 month result, I lost 25lbs. 19lbs of muscle 6lbs of fat.

    Bolded for emphasis. This sort of thing really matters. Pu didn't have a choice for medical reasons. But as a warning to anyone who thinks this approach to dieting is a good idea - - it just makes the road that much longer. You have to rebuild your muscle, and cut fat, and you're starting at a lower resting metabolic rate to do so.

    Quoting because everyone needs to read these two posts again.

    Congrats on your loss - but it's actually going to put you at a loss, as your metabolic rate is lower and you've lost muscle.
  • mazdauk
    mazdauk Posts: 1,380 Member
    I'd also add exercise as well as eating normally. This will help your body work out what's going on.
  • JessHealthKick
    JessHealthKick Posts: 800 Member
    Sorry to hear about the skin - but good luck tightening it up! This is why people recommend to lose weight SLOWLY.

    Get out the savings for surgery...

    Sorry to be negative, it's great you have lost a lot of weight but whoever recommended this to you (unless you are morbidly obese and close to killing yourself) is not so bright.
  • wllwsmmr
    wllwsmmr Posts: 391 Member
    Firstly, it depends on how many calories per day of juice you had. If you had more than 1000calories, the weight gain will not be that drastic once you upped your calories.

    Whatever changes you make to your diet, you have to keep it up for life to maintain it. Unless you are going to maintain eating the calories you did on your juice fast, you're going to gain back some, if not all, or even more, depending on how much you've increased your calorie intake, how much exercise you do etc.

    ETA: I don't think you should freak out about gaining weight eating a reasonable amount of calories per day. It is too late to undo our juice fast but it is not too late to go back to a reasonable deficit and some exercise for optimal health and energy levels. Have some patience and don't fret when the weight comes off too slowly.. It is much more sustainable.
  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    My wife and I just finished a 60 day juice fast and we're learning how to eat all over again. With the juice fast, I lost 60+ lbs in 2 months and i wanted to get off it so I can focus on eating again and training with weights to tighten up some of the loose skin that has accumulated.

    60 days of a juice fast???? Wow that is insane.. I am guessing you weren't getting much protein in at all.. As for the eating, your going to gain some of that weight back from eating food.. and as far as the skin, when you lose weight that fast your body has a really really hard time readjusting and fixing your skin problem.. that is why losing weight slowly is preferred to avoid alot of that stuff.. you may not see any results on the skin front.
    Too bad you didn't take any measurements or BF% readings.. cause muscle is pretty hard to get back.
  • Ezdinero
    Ezdinero Posts: 5 Member
    Wow, didn't even realize people had responded. I checked back once and didn't see any :(

    So I'm the insane nut who decided to go on a juice fast. I'll give you guys a quick update and maybe a little more information.

    I started off at 326 lbs and the fast ended April 6, 2013. During the time, i was doing mostly cardio since my body didn't have enough fuel to maintain a heavy workout with weights. Since then, i'm back to working out with weights 5 x a week and i'm now getting my cardio in early mornings. I weighed in this morning at 263 which is the exact same thing i was at the last day of my juice fast (no weight loss...but no weight gain either)

    As far as losing muscle, I was really afraid that i was turning into mush for a lower number on the scale so I "only" went the 60 days. I say "only" because some have juiced for 100 days. I'm counting on muscle memory right now to help me out and so far, i'm really positive that i'm headed in the right direction. To assist, i'm trying to take in at least 150 - 200 grams of protein per day to ensure whatever muscle I did manage to keep can sustain and grow. Like I said, i'm really happy i'm heading into the right direction.

    The friend that introduced a juice fast to me tried it for 10 days, lost 10 lbs and gained 15 back right after. I am doing everything possible not to fall into that trap by eating healthy meals (4 - 6 meals a day), drinking my water, exercising and getting my rest (tough with 3 little ones lol)

    Thank you all for responding and I'll continue to update for anybody interested.
  • Ezdinero
    Ezdinero Posts: 5 Member
    Congratulations on massive results. I worry that you lost some muscle mass which will lower your resting metabolic rate. I'm thrilled to hear that you're going to start resistance training. If you don't have a program yet, look up stronglifts 5x5.

    As far as how to eat goes, please read this short post: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/952996-level-obstacles-lose-weight-target-fat-easy

    Thank you for the suggestion! I'll look into it
  • Ezdinero
    Ezdinero Posts: 5 Member
    Have you already written your will, bought a plot and picked out a casket? You may want to get on that.

    I was about to before.. but I've never felt better. So, no plot picking just yet.
  • Ezdinero
    Ezdinero Posts: 5 Member
    My wife and I just finished a 60 day juice fast and we're learning how to eat all over again. With the juice fast, I lost 60+ lbs in 2 months and i wanted to get off it so I can focus on eating again and training with weights to tighten up some of the loose skin that has accumulated.

    60 days of a juice fast???? Wow that is insane.. I am guessing you weren't getting much protein in at all.. As for the eating, your going to gain some of that weight back from eating food.. and as far as the skin, when you lose weight that fast your body has a really really hard time readjusting and fixing your skin problem.. that is why losing weight slowly is preferred to avoid alot of that stuff.. you may not see any results on the skin front.
    Too bad you didn't take any measurements or BF% readings.. cause muscle is pretty hard to get back.

    thanks, my man. Kale, spinach, broccoli all contain protein. but absolutely, i wasn't getting enough. I'm really watching that now. the loose skin skin isn't hanging by my knees low or anything... sorry of i gave that impression. I seriously believe that i'll be able to get where i want to be without surgery even.

    thanks again.
  • 2FatToRun
    2FatToRun Posts: 810 Member
    Yes it might take me years to rebuild what i lost in 1 month.

    And this is the most sobering thing I've read today.

    Very sobering this is the reason I want slow healthy loss...hanging skin is not an option for me, neither is muscle loss.
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