What do you know about "juice fasting"?

I have. There's MANY recipes that you can make. It's not bad & after the first day, I wasn't hungry for anything.

Here is my major gripe - if you intend to keep a healthy diet afterwards, then why not just start the healthy diet right away, and skip the whole juice business?

I think since you're beginning, you might want to check out www.jointhereboot.com. There's a program for beginners which allows you to still eat food while juicing. Honestly, I think it's great. I haven't done an actual fast, but I drink juice every morning for breakfast, and I personally love it. It's a great way to get in all of the micronutrients you need, and it's also great for trying out vegetables you probably would have never eaten before. I'm always experimenting with different flavors, and I'm constantly surprised with the combinations I mix together. Try it out for a few days and see what you think!

The point of fasting is to clean out your body of toxins and fecal matter which is just sitting in your colon. I recommend it, but only if you it the right way. There are books and websites that can guide you.

Your body does this normally. Food passes from stomach to exit in 24 to 48 hours. We don't all walk around with 10 pounds of fecal matter in our colons that just waits for a fast to finally leave. To Taso42's point, eat a healthy, balanced diet, and your body will do just fine ridding itself of toxins, waste and anything else that doesn't belong.

As expected there is a 50/50 divide between people that think it's wonderful and people that say not to do it.

My reasoning is this:


"We don't all walk around with 10 pounds of fecal matter in our colons that just waits for a fast to finally leave"
-No. Not ALL of us do. Some of us do though. I did a cleansing years ago in which I lost 10+ and did not immediately gain them back. They had to have come from somewhere inside me.

Sorry, nobody walks around with fecal matter that won't pass. Your body moves things along, constantly. Go ask your doctor, not the internet. While your are there, ask your doctor what they think of drinking just juice for a week, ignoring fiber, complex carbs, protein, essential fats, and other nutrients. Their answer is the one that matters.

Here is my major gripe - if you intend to keep a healthy diet afterwards, then why not just start the healthy diet right away, and skip the whole juice business?

This. Successfully losing weight in long term isn't some fad you just pick up for a few weeks, it's a lifestyle change. If you're putting it off by doing this instead of just grabbing the bull by the horns and getting on with it, you might end up wasting some time.

FWIW I did the nearly all juice thing for 3 weeks and lost 25lbs.

I am on day 4 of a juice fast and I feel great! Honestly my cravings are more mental/emotional than physical. My body knows it's getting all the nutrients I need, but the carbaholic in me would kill for a piece of bread right now. lol It is harder I imagine for carnivores, my hubby (who is also fasting with me) and I have been vegan almost a year now so we eat a pretty much plant based diet already. The way we did it was 3 days before the fast we only ate fruits and veggies, and for four days after we will work our way up to solid foods. Just fruits and veggies the first couple days, then start adding some nuts. From what I hear properly breaking the fast makes it or breaks it! If you're doing it to start a healthier diet than that's good! Going back to eating unhealthy and overprocessed foods will defeat the purpose. Another thing I've found is I will definitely appreciate food more. That I am blessed to be able to buy and eat whatever I chose, and to be able to live the flesh-free life, because there are those that are not so fortunate. Those are just my thoughts. Happy Fasting!

Okay, I try to keep positive on forums, but what is up with all of the negativity? If someone wants to do a juice fast (which in all actuality, isn't a fast), it's an option they would like to consider. Let them consider it and let them experience it. I understand opinions were asked but instead of stating them politely, it's like everyone has to have their claws out. Weight loss is unique and what might not work for other people, might work for me or the OP or anyone here. And whatever works for me might be a terrible idea for anyone else.

Sorry you feel people are being negative. I didn't get that. The OP asked for people's opinions, and that's what he got.

Having been involved in fitness and healthy eating for the last 8 yrs, I think juices/fasts/colon cleanses whatever you would like to call them is a waste of time, and money. Put simply it is a quick fix gimic. The weight you lose is mostly water, and of course people feel 'lite' etc after, there is nothing left in them as they haven't been eating a regular balanced diet. Weight loss isn't unique. It's quite simple. Eat healthy, at a calorie deficit (if you're trying lose weight), get in some good ol fashioned exercise, and you're good to go (this method is free by the way).

It bugs me that people try to make it so complicated. Stick with it and the weight will come off.

I'm also going to do the reboot! (jointhereboot.com!) . In the entry program, you can still eat and juice.

Juicing isn't a fad or at all unhealthy. It helps prevent disease by getting a TON of fruits and veggies (enzymes, vitamins, antioxidants!) in which you can't normally consume that much in one sitting. Not all all the same as store bought juice that has no enzymes and they add in (fortified) vitamins that were removed during processing plus they add sugar.

Even if you don't do a 'fast', just incorporating fresh juice into your life is going to be beneficial to you.

I'm doing my juice fast in three phases. And I'm conducting an experiment as well. One goal is to get off of bp and cholesterol meds. And another was to get my brain to quit craving all that crap that I had ate in the past and give me plenty of time to change my thinking that these things should be seldom, or never. I'm in the 2nd of 3 phases now. Just another 30 days that breaks on Sept. 27th. So far I've lost 39.8 lbs since July 23rd.

3rd phase is just eating all the things I'm juicing and continuing to avoid red meat and focus on fruits and veggies the majority of the time. I don't know exactly what to expect but during this juice fast I've had time to compile recipes for just about everything I might eat in the 3rd phase. The 3rd phase will be mostly vegetarian. I'm well aware of where all the protein is. And I'm not saying 'never' to anything. But I am saying I've had my fill of certain things and do not plan to return. Goodbye milk, hello almond and soy milk! (For example) We've already moved over to mostly organic and when possible local farmer's markets. (All stores for a given chain grocery are not created the same even on the same side of town. I still cook all the family meals too while doing this juice diet. It just makes me a better cook in the long run.

I've been doing lower body exercise for over a year now on elliptical trainers at the gym. Low impact. And you can wear a watch for exacts on what you're burning. I've started adding some dumbbells routines as well on odd days. I have plenty of energy on juice only. And if I want more, I can drink more. I have all kinds of green leafy meals planned but I still plan on using my blender and juicer regularly. Why? Because it's hard to eat THAT much fruits and veggies on a daily basis. And the juice is a nice back-up. If I find a way to interject everything I juice without juice, I'll be doing that as well. But if not, the juice is awesome!