2006 what day are you on...part 2...

[monkeymomma]

This may or may not work as a new thread, but I HAD to try.

I am back again...though I never really post alot
anyway. This is day 1 for me (kind of cleanse #5)
but since having read Peter's book and doing loads
of very thorough research this is technically only
MC2. (I had alot of incorrect information the first
couple of times I decided to try this)

Alot of people claimed to know alot about the
Lemonade diet...but I have found that this site alone
(in my opinion)...
has the most vast array of Q&A that is uncensored
and very real. (and by uncensored, I simply mean
that people talk freely about what is going on with their
bodies and their heads and such)

This board has proven to be a great help with this
journey. I do however HIGHLY recommend that you
read the books. Even when I thought I knew all I
needed to know, Peter answered questions I didn't
even know I had.

I love this cleanse and it never brings problems for me.
I know why there are bad days and I know why I may
or may not feel certain things. Since my last cleanse...
which was in February, I have switched to almost an
entirely raw diet...I juice every morning...and have
incorporated green smoothies into my day as well.
I still drink the lemonade quite often actually. I have
continued to lose weight...(I never gained any back
after this last cleanse!)
and I am beginning again simply because I very much
enjoy the headspace and my mind set (mental clarity)
in general whilst on the MC. I feel it's a step leading me
closer to the lifestyle I am trying to live. Healthy,
organic, simplistic and pure (as in the intake of food :D)
... again, in my opinion.


I could babble forever but for now I think I'll see
if we can get anyone to post on this thread. I still
see many people I recognized from before and TONS
of new faces...and both are GREAT!!!

hi to all of you and good luck on your journey!!!

[ladydee]

Good Morning monkeymomma (what an interesting name!)

i enjoyed reading your post, above.

Today is "serial" MC4 D19 for me; i am trying really, really hard to get to 21 days, minimum, in one cleanse. (Earlier MC's = 15, 16, then 10 days, all between Dec. 28 '05 and now).

You inspire me wth details of your healthy lifestyle and choices. i am in awe, and a little envy, at your not gaining the weight back!! But then, i have been a habitual overeater / binger for the last 8-10 years. i plan to *cure* that dis/ease wth this MC.

Yes - i also enjoy the "full out" aspect of this Bb although i tend to read / lurk more than i post. Except for spurts of "garrulity" and celebration! Like this coming Wednesday, when i make it to day 22? i might post alllll day. (LOL)

i will talk more wth you later, okay? This is a low energy / high detox or else just plain- ole -lazy, day, & i gotta push me to do chores. :( Really, just wanna sleep, sleep, sleep!

Glad you're here / back. Have a great lemony day! 8)

[monkeymomma]

hello ladydee!!!

ah yes, the name...
simple really...my 3 year old daughter is most commonly
referred to as Monkey...then add my role. :D

as far as the losing weight...oddly enough, that's not why I
started this cleanse...though with my lifetime weight
issues, perhaps it should have been. But as far as not
gaining anything back...to be honest, once I lost it I
was a bit scared of the thought of it coming back. I
started out nibbling at carrots and made my own
hummus and that was my biggest treat. I just let my
stomach shrink to the point that I would eat several
tiny meals throughout the day...and when I got
really hungry, I would make up a couple glasses of the lemonade...
it may sound strange, but just the taste of it in my
mouth reminded me why I began this journey. And
trust me when I say...my willpower throughout my
life has not been the greatest...

This journey has VERY much been about improving
my way of life...and that meant starting with my head
and the way I took on life in general...

and ladydee, thanks for saying I inspire you...
I have always looked to others for inspiration...
so if I have done it for someone else even in the
most remote way, I feel fabulous!!! Â*:D

congrats on doing so well on all of your cleanses.
That is an accomplishment to be proud of!!!

[peanutterb]

oh wow that's awesome monkeymomma. i'm so proud and excited for you.
you're definitely an inspiration to me.

[nature_girl]

Good idea to start a new thread. I couldn't stand the wait to load the reply page on the old thread, especially with my relatively slow connection speed.

Day 6 on MC #3 for me. Things are going okay...I still feel like I'm not detoxing. I'm doing the tea this morning instead of the SWF because I woke up too late to get a SWF in before I need to be somewhere. I did the tea in the morning once before when this happened, and it seemed to work fine for me (i.e. I still got over 3 BM's in that day). For me, the most worrisome thing about doing the tea instead of the SWF is that I hate the SWF so much, that if the tea does the job, I might be tempted to just switch to the tea all the time. But that's not what Burrough's reccommends, so I'll try to convince myself that I do need the SWF (Ugh!).

Ack! I can't see the responses I read on the earlier thread, so I'll have to go by memory (and probably spell some user names wrong).

Haelee - Good! Glad it all "came out" alright!

Mikenkel - I'm sure it must be loads easier that you're both doing it together. My first couple cleanses I had a really hard time dealing with my family having meals without me...and I even prepared some of those meals for them. But this cleanse I've been actually enjoying preparing food for them. I love the smells, but don't feel tempted by them. Wierd.

Someone new who posted right before my last post (can't remember your user name...sorry!) - You go girl! It sounds like you're super prepared to start and raring to go. I love hearing people's reasons. Mine seem to change from cleanse to cleanse. This time it's primarily about seeing if the MC will somehow help my back (herniated disc) and trying to do a better job managing my stress and mood. But it's also about clearing out the system. And though I'm not overweight, I do admit I like shedding a few pounds and getting that twenty-something body back.

MonkeyMomma - I agree both the MC and the BB rock! Thanks for starting the new thread. Good luck this time around and I hope to see posts from you now and again.

Keep sqeezing along everyone!

[peanutterb]

reposting my question from the old 06 thread to this one. didn't see it before i posted. thanks for the earlier reply nature_girl - how do i know it's a detox symptom tho? my allergies are pretty bad and this isn't a new thing - random itchies and soreness etc and it is spring... i'm a little confused.


"hey guys,
love all the support you have going here so i thought i'd post and join in

1. should i stop when my tongue gets back to pink or when i get to day ten? (i'm on day 9 now)
2. same question - will there be a change in my eliminations when i'm closer to done or do i just stop?
3. i have a wicked sore throat - is this a detox symptom? should i continue cleansing until it's gone or is there anything i can do about it? i'm going to gargle with some hot salt water and vinegar and put some vicks on but i don't know what else to do. it's just the right side of my throat and it's kinda strange cus my lymph nodes arent swollen.

would appreciate your help.
thanks"

~B

[mikenkel]

Day 2 here. How in the world does anyone do the SWF for 10 (or more) days?? :D I literally have to fight not throwing it right back up? Any tips? I tried it with a straw this morning but that didn't help either.

I do have a question, my husband and i are both experiencing this sensation in our heads that our heads are being 'squeezed' tightly. I haven't read any thing on this, is this normal or does anyone else have experience with this? It's a little uncomfortable but mostly makes me feel like I'm off balance.

thanks and thanks for all the great posts, they're great for newcomers like me. :)

[monkeymomma]

peanutterb and nature_girl

thanks for helping with posting over here...
we'll have to see if it continues to work :D

nature_girl...
there was one occasion where I had to take the tea in
the morning instead of the SWF.
As with you, it was a circumstance of I had to be
somewhere. It's great that you know that the SWF
is really the way to go though.

As Peter reiterates time and time again...
it's best to follow the 'rules' exactly.
I find myself becoming more and more accustomed
to the SWF, as strange as that may seem. Not that I
enjoy it...but I do know why I am doing it and that
somehow makes it tolerable.

peanutterb...
as for the sore throat, I experienced one day of it
in February...but it went away in less than 24 hours.
Sorry, I'm not of more help with that. As far as the
tongue thing...several people have different experiences
there is an entire tongue thread, that I am sure you've found.
Some people who planned on doing a 10 day
cleanse have gone longer just because their tongue
was not yet pink again...
but you should definitely read through the tongue thread...
TONS of information there.



off to make round 2 of my lemonade...

[peanutterb]

I do have a question, my husband and i are both experiencing this sensation in our heads that our heads are being 'squeezed' tightly. I haven't read any thing on this, is this normal or does anyone else have experience with this? It's a little uncomfortable but mostly makes me feel like I'm off balance.

thanks and thanks for all the great posts, they're great for newcomers like me. :)

that's how i felt on day 2 and 3. i think it was hunger or somehow related to that. i stopped by day 4. if you drink coffee it may be withdrawal. dont worry this too shall pass and tomorrow will be better.


Monkeymomma - thanks for the reply. i did read thru the tongue thread. I think I'm going to wait this sore throat out. it's better today than yesterday. I have post nasal drip as well. Hopefully it'll be better tomorrow. I might wait my tongue out too. I am having a get together at my place on thurs so i was hoping I'd be able to eat then but it's ok. (i think... I hope) As long as I can eat by next tuesday when i'm on holiday i'll be ok.

[haelee]

thanks for starting this new thread, no waiting now!

day 3 for me...no headache today, but my headache yesterday was sort of a squeezing-feeling, maybe like what mikenkel are (assume mikenkel is "mike and kel") experiencing. i don't normally drink lots of caffeine, but who knows, i might drink just enough to have gone through some withdrawals.

last night i had terrible dreams that were so real it took me a minute this a.m. to realize i did NOT go to the kitchen in my sleep and eat a vat of mac and "chreese," a loaf of bread, and a tub of earthbalance spread. clearly, i'm a carb addict, and my addiction is pissed that i'm denying myself those indulgences...i was very relieved when i convinced myself it WAS just a dream. whew!

i have to say i'm getting kind of sick of the maple syrup taste (i'm using grade b organic...i'm doing everything by the book, really). i'm thinking of cutting back on it just a tad to tone down that taste...any thoughts on that, anyone? maybe 1 1/2 tablespoons or just 1 tbsp per drink, instead of 2 full tbsps...? i drink 8 or 9 glasses a day, so i'd still be getting lots of calories.

thanks everyone very, very much for your words of encouragement...i really NEED them. please keep passing on the kind words and good energy!

[peanutterb]

hey Haelee,
I'm with you on the maple syrup. and the dreams too.
Last night I was attacked by oranges. A few nights ago I dreamt I was eating chips and salsa and woke up chewing! I even bought a mag because of the food pics it had in it on day 3 and I almost bit a girl who was eating a box of thin mints.

Anyway, I cut back on my maple syrup too. It was too sweet for me. So I do 1.5 tbs for my first one in the morning. then 1/2 a tbs for the next and the one right before bed and 1 tbs the rest of the day. Sometimes I have the one with all 2tbs as a treat or if I know I'll be up late or doing streneous work.

[nature_girl]

I am officially detoxing. Today I got so sick with nausea and shivers that I had to just bury myself under a pile of blankets with a hot water bottle and shiver it out. It seems that I go through this every MC...and every time I question why the hell I did this to myself. Fortunately, my husband is a pro at this now and just reminds me that I'm detoxing and this is the whole point. Oh right, okay then...deep breaths. That and now I've got the biggest zit the world has ever seen smack in the middle of my face....lovely.

Haelee - Attacked by oranges....almost bit a girl who was eating a box of thin mints....LOL!!! I haven't really had too much of the crazy dreams this time around, but the last couple times that was definitely happening.

peanutterb - I think I just presume anything that is a symptom that we normally experience but it's more intense on the cleanse is a detox thing. My first cleanse, I had been suffering from allergies, especially red itchy eyes, and when I went on the MC, at one point my eyes became so extreme that I literally could not do anything but hold them and scream. Our bodies fall into patterns of how they tend to detox from day to day. Some people suffer from skin issues like eczema, others allergies, others have internal issues with their kidneys....in any case, I think when we do the MC, we tend to utilize those same avenues, but it gets more extreme.

[Rebaker720]

Hello everyone. Day 7 here and a very grumpy day 7 it was, really glad it's almost bedtime. Also going through the "why did I think this would be a good idea" thing, but then I read the board and remembered-thank you all.

Be well,
Reb

[LemonSqueezy]

Well Day 5 is here, as so am I! Having a great time with aches, pains, and my tongue looks like a lunar landscape! Never mind, only 5 days to go (AARGH)


monkeymomma - real respect to you, I am constantly in awe of you 'master' MC'ers. I know what you mean about 'headspace' it's amazing how cluttered life gets. The MC seems to detox more than just the old bod'!

mikenkel - I totally empathise with the SWF. I renamed it the 'Breakfast Broth' after an enlightening idea from this board to treat the SWF as a sort of broth - light on the chicken and noodles. I admit that imagining it as a broth stretches the imagination until you can hear the elastic snap! But keep with it, it really is a vital part of the MC

haelee - I almost stopped the MC because I couldn't stand any more !**!* lemonade, so I reduced the Maple Syrup to 1 tablespoon, (Stanley Burroughs mentions this is OK). Maple Syrup is full of healthy goodies so as long as you drink enough lemonade all should be well

nature-girl There you were wondering where those pesky detox symptoms were, and WHAM off they go . I think my official line is - everything has to get worse before it gets better! I also sympathise with the weekends. It's usually a time for taking it easy and having friends round for a meal. I can just imagine the scene. Everyone eating lovely things, me sitting there sobbing over another !**!*! lemonade and saying 'does anyone want to hear about my latest BM!!!' :-X Consequently I've hidden myself away on the MC and hope to emerge a better and brighter friend to everyone ;D

Anyway m'lemon mashers, stick with it before it sticks to you

Love & Loo Rolls

[peanutterb]

oh my gosh i am so miserable.
i almost cried last night. i couldn't sleep at all, i was in so much pain. my face was so congested it hurt. i couldn't breath. my teeth hurt. my ears. my throat. i put on vicks and a breathe right strip and still nothing. i had on 3 blankets and socks and pants. still shivering.

if this is a detox symptom it's a wicked, wicked thing.

today is my day 10. it should've been my last but i'll be squeezing lemons until this passes or i run into uncoming traffic to end my misery. whichever comes first. but note, i live very very close to the interstate.

[fancy1]

Hope everyone jumps over to this thread.... the other one too so long to load when i went to respond that I finally just quit even looking at it, or reading it....

Glad someone actually decided to do a new thread...

Best of luck to everyone on their journeys...

I wil be starting MC # 4 in a couple of weeks....
Can't wait.....

[techprincesse]

First time cleanser here... On day 5 so far. Only problem I am having is I cant bring myself to drinking more then 3-4 servings of the lemonade. I dont feel hungry at all and I'm not tired. I think drinking so much water is taking me off the lemonade. Eliminations are at 1-2 per day.

Trying to hang in there til 10 days but nothing "gross" has come out yet but I will keep on trucking til day 10!

[amylneal]

Day 1, MC # 3 (let's try this again). So far so good. More later. Amy

[GG]

Breakfast Broth! Excellent name for the SWF. Day 4 here. The nights are sooooo difficult for me. I just can't wait to get through the vile tea and go to sleep. Anyone else feeling that way? I know we are supposed to stick to the formula, but....I'm wondering if I can sweeten the tea with a little maple syrup. Just a little??? Peter???? I haven't strayed from the formula yet. At night I find myself thinking "am I crazy? is this crazy? what am I thinking?" Sleep come free me! Mornings have been a different story. Awake at dawn, feeling clear and ready for a new day. FOCUS ON THE FINISH, but stay in the present! My best wishes for inner strength to all who read this. GG

[Guest]

This is my first day, and I am relieved to be finally starting. This will be my third successful cleanse, and I am looking forward to feeling great!

I have only stayed on for ten-days, and I would like to stay on a bit longer. I will look forward giving and receiving the support and encouragement from all of you super stars!

Until tomorrow,
funmom

[sick_of_it]

Day 1 for me!!!! I did this cleanse a year ago, but only got through 5 days. The flu-like symptoms got to me on the 5th day and I gave up. I'm hoping that I can actually tough it out for the full 10 days this time. I may need to post often just to get through it.

I'm hoping this cleanse will help with my terrible sugar addiction. If it's sweet, chocolate, and generally bad for you then I just love it. Unfortunately, my body is suffering from this junk. I have put on some pounds, mainly around my stomach, leading to that pregnant look...highly unflattering. I know that I will lose a couple pounds with the MC, but I'm more interested in the long term benefits of breaking the addictions.

Can't wait to start feeling better!!!!

[haelee]

day four for me...only six days left.

wow, peanutterb, i'm sorry your head is so stuffed up...hope you're feeling better, and i'm impressed and inspired to hear you're going to stick with this until you start feeling better.

sorry you've been hit so hard, nature_girl, sounds like you know what's going on, though, and are ready to get through it.

thanks for the note re. the maple syrup, lemonsqueezy, good to know!

yesterday evening i had a few very dark moments...i kept craving beer and potato chips (salt and pepper kettle chips, to be exact)...but i got through them by reading and re-reading posts on here, reading bits of books and mags, and walking my dog. thank goodness for my dog...call me crazy, but he actually seems like he's having sympathy detox symptoms! we spent all day together on sat. and sun., and he didn't eat much either day...poor guy!

my work day is going by very fast (yes, i'm writing this on the clock)...i've noticed my short-term memory has short-circuited...mind is jumpy. but, i feel pretty good in general and am no longer afraid that i can't make it through to the end any more. i can't believe that there's still stuff coming out of me after not having eaten since thursday, though. shocking!

;o)

[nature_girl]

Day 7 for me. I feel like I've hit my groove now. So relieved that I got some detoxing done yesterday. I am so loving the smell of foods. My husband was cooking chilequiles last night (breakfast for dinner!) and I kept hovering over the pan just taking in the aroma. He thought I was torturing myself, but really I was in ecstasy! Mmmmmmmm...chilequiles!

Rebaker - Hang in there...don't let those doubts get the better of you. You should be hitting cruise mode soon.

Peanutterb - How are you feeling now? I think you're going through some serious detox. That's rough that it's happening on what's supposed to be your last day because it does seem like you really should stay on the MC until your done with it so that you can gain the benefit. Try to stick with it...you're going to feel so much better when you come out the other side of it.

Techprincesse - 1-2 BM's is not quite enough. Burroughs says you need a minimum of 3. You may be experiencing reduced cleansing because of your reduced amount of lemonade. It's great you're not suffering from headaches, hunger, or low energy, but you may not get much detoxing in if you're not using enough of the cleansing agent, which is the lemonade. I too had a hard time getting 6 down on my first MC, but that's what you need to do to get the full effect. If you don't detox, you've wasted your time.

Amylneal & Trish - Welcome back to the MC!

GG - Try a different laxative tea. I hated Smooth Move...it made me want to puke. But I quite enjoy Get Regular (I think it's made by Yogi tea or something like that).

Sick of it - It sounds like last time you quit right when you started detoxing. Remember, that's the whole point. I know it's so severe when it happens. I usually feel like crying because I feel so aweful. With my first MC, I literally thought I might need to go to the hospital with as bad as I felt...it felt like something had gone horribly wrong. But after your next elimination, you'll feel good, perhaps fantastic. Stick it out this time...you'll be so glad you did!

Haelee - Salt and pepper kettle chips rock!!! Now that's something that could get me craving food! Oh look, now I have to go have another lemonade because I can't stop thinking about those damn chips.

Keep going! Keep going! We're so strong!!!

[Guest]

Nature Girl,

Thank you so very much for taking the time to respond to all of us with such encouragement, energy and excitement! It definitely helps to hear the encouragement and to keep the focus.

We all have to keep asking ourselves why we are doing this and what we hope to gain. When I get the headaches and pains ...then I know that my body is getting rid of the bad stuff.

Talk to you all tomorrow!
Funmom:)

[techprincesse]

Thanks for responding! I will try to force some more down... Its hard cause I am trying to do like 80 oz of water as well.

all day today I only got one glass down. So I guess I have to buck up and drink up!

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Day 2 for me. I decided to start a day early, did the SWF and managed to get it down in about 10 minutes or so. Results came quickly. But it still gives me a gag reflex thinking about drinking it. Otherwise I'm doing senna tea in the am/pm (found Bija makes a nice one). The lemonade isn't bad, but I might cut back on the syrup as I find it a bit cloying. Funny cause I'm wild about maple candy.

A bit of a headache today, but not as bad as yesterday. It seems to be moving from place to place from my right eye to behind my right ear. Is this normal?

I'm experiencing chills, but I don't know if it's because the space I work in is cold, or really me.

Trying not to think about tomorrow and just get through today.

I am looking forward to a rare night home with my dog and working out. I have a day job and 4 nights at a theatre where I'm doing a show. As I told one other poster someone brought in a chocolate cake for the cast/crew to eat and I could smell it everywhere. Such temptation, but I managed to resist.

[peanutterb]

thanks for asking nature girl.

mentally i'm 90% ok. I still am ready to wean off the fast so I can eat. But that's ok. I'm ok with going until this passes or Friday, whichever comes first. (I'm going home on Tues and my mom won't be interested in me not eating)

Physically - i'm up and down. It's a full fledged sinus infection. i get them from time to time and i usually just take sudafed and afrin nose spay. but i won't take anything since i'm on the cleanse. i brought a humidifier and am keeping myself warm and covered in vicks. i'm in quite a bit of pain so i'll be resting most of the day. when i blow my nose my mucus now is just a little yellow so that's a good sign.

Anyone else have suggestions on cures/ ways to ease this that don't involve ingesting anything that's not lemonade?

this too shall pass. i just have to remember to keep smiling and not let it get me down and make sure i stay focused.

best wishes to everyone else. cheers!

Crazed_Pom - I had headaches until my 3rd day. And I continue to have chills. Bundle up. I've been checking my temp since yesterday and it's been a little below 98.6 every time.

[mrsmezen]

Hello all! Congrats to all of you for doing so well on your cleanses...I envy you! Help!! I started my first ever MC last Friday and I quit at the end of day 2. It was unbearable for me...not only was I having to choke down the lemonade because the aftertaste it left in my mouth made me naucous, but my husband made pizza for dinner and it almost made me cry. It was peperonni pizza and I wanted some so bad....I am a vegetarian so that's how I know I was in a serious state of desperation! HELP ME! I found another cleanse that I want to do instead of the lemonade diet but can't afford all that is involved with it so I am going to try to start the MC again, but I need some help. Does anyone out there have problems with the taste of the lemonade like I do? What can I do to make it more bareable? How can I mentally face this and be able to follow it through? Any suggestions??
Thanks
Dayna

[Prazz]

Hi everyone, I have been lurking here for a few days and finally decided to register. This is one of the best forums for the MC that I have come across.

I am on day 3 of my first MC. The lemonade tastes good, since I love cayenne pepper, and the SWF is staying down (think chicken soup). I have 100 lbs to loose, but my main reason for doing the MC is to detox. Besides the coated tounge I have had a throbbing pain behind my right ear since yesterday, I am aching all over and have the chills, but my hunger is bearable today. I am feeling a little more clear headed, and looking forward to feeling even better.

I find this forum to be a great support with lots of answers for the questions and reservations that I have had.

Thanks,
Prazz

[peanutterb]

Welcome and congrats Praz and msmezen. welcome to the BB.

Praz - those are probably just hunger headaches and they should pass.

Msmezen - all i can say is it takes alot of discipline. I haven't eaten meat in 12 years and while on this fast I was salivating over a roast beef sandwich on a quizno's ad. It crazy like that sometimes.
Have you tried adding more or less maple or a different type of maple to your lemonade to change the taste? I switch mine up sometimes, less maple so it's more lemony or more cayenne so it's hot and sometimes i drink it warm like a tea. sometimes i pretend it's something fun like hummus or a fruit smoothie. That hardly ever works though.
Try brushing your teeth/ tongue after the drink or have a glass of water immediately after. Also have a glass of peppermint tea, that's makes my mouth taste bettter.

[mrsmezen]

Thanks Peanutterb for the advice. Yeah, that meat thing was so wierd, I had my face all up in his pizza and he thought I had lost my damn mind, and I kind of did. The wierdest thing for me was I felt awesome during the day, my husband and I put up drywall in our new house, ran to the Home Depot a few times and I was great, then dinner time came around and I lost all control. I am going to try this again. I came to the conclusion that I don't care much for maple syrup...or cayenne pepper and the lax tea I have is kind of gross too. So, maybe I will get some new tea, some more potent mint tea and start again with a clear head. Thanks for the support, this BB is the only reason I made it through the first two days. Hope to keep in touch.

[epixislost]

Hey all! This is MC2 for me, and I'm on the first day. Last time I had a horrible migraine headache, but this time isn't quite that bad. I'm hoping to go longer than 10 days, my inital goal is 14 days, with an eye towards 20.

I have to say, after my last MC, I went back to eating WORSE than I was before. I'm back as a vegetarian, but it seems everything I've been craving is carb heavy and smothered in cheese. I think I quit to early last time, and I'm hoping that some of these cravings will go away if I manage a more thorough cleanse.

Today, my head feels fuzzy. It's kinda nice, actually. I've been really rough on my employees at work lately, and in retrospect, I think it's from all of the caffine and horrible food I've been eating. I'm doing this for them, as well as myself :D

We all rock, and we all can do this! Yay for the MC, and yay for the support offered on the forums!

[mrsmezen]

Starting all over......
Okay everyone, after much thought, I have decided to take one more try at this MC, I have quit early two times and am feeling terrible about it. Moral is low and my body feel full of icky stuff. I am planning on getting a personal trainer again and getting back into the gym (it's been a stressfull past few months), but I am determined to cleanse first before I start my new diet and exercise regimine gets under way. I just can't see myself doing this if I am not totally healthy, the two should go hand in hand.
So, can anyone answer this question for me....what is the best thing to do the night before the cleanse?? Drink the salt water, or the lax tea??
Thanks for your support!

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Hi Mrs. Merzen,

I started the night before with the laxative tea, it seemed to do the trick.

I hope this helps.

[The_Tiff]

Peanutterb~ Oh my! Please don't run onto the interstate!!! So sorry to hear that you are not feeling well but think about how clean, CLEAN, CLEAN!!!! your body will be afterwards :D
Great job for sticking in there! Stay strong this will pass and you will be so much stronger (and healthier) for pushing through it).

[amylneal]

Day 2, MC # 3. Going for 10 days. I'd like to try to go longer at some point, but don't know when. I plan to now fast about 4 times per year so hopefully, eventually I'll gain the will to go longer. No more smoking. Ick. MC seems to be the only thing that can make me quit. I'm feeling great, already high energy and mental clarify but I'm bloody freezing!!! More later.

[peanutterb]

Good news Master Squeezers,
The B is feeling a lot better!
Last night I only slept with TWO blanket and no vicks. The humidifier is working I guess. I had some ginger tea and a nice hot shower right before bed and though I slept propper up I slept GOOD.

today I'll have some garlic cus that's good antibacteria and antiviral and should help break the mucus up. I haven't really done much this morning besides make my Salt water but I am definitely breathing alot better and in a lot less pain. And my face isn't swollen anymore.
Yeah!

My cycle started a day early but I'm interested to see how that goes while I'm on the cleanse. Anybody have any warnings, suggestions, heads up or whatever on having your period while cleansing?

Thanks for all your support and encouragement. Also thanks for Atlanta being so cold yesterday so I couldn't make it to the Interstate.

So Day 11 and still going strong.

I heart lemons!

[monkeymomma]

yay for people heading over to this thread.

this is day 3 for me...and doing great! But I truly do
enjoy the lemonade...perhaps even a bit addicted to the taste :D

wow...I didn't post yesterday and looks like
I missed alot...
glad to hear you are feeling better peanutterb

and glad to see all of the people that are back
on the MC again...and also all of the new people.


This really is one of the best things I have ever done
for myself. Being a stay at home mom with a husband
that works crazy schedules...and having a 5 month old
lab puppy...I don't get to do alot for myself...and this is
something that is mine. That may not make sense to
some (or any for that matter)...but this is for me and it
ends up helping them as well, because I am happier
and healthier and my head gets the 'cleaning' it needs.
And how nice that yesterday was the first day of Spring...
I guess this is my spiritual spring cleaning as well as
my internal physical spring cleaning.

I thank those of you that have left me email and said
I was inspiring. I blush at those compliments because,
trust me, I don't deserve any special recognition...
I do however enjoy sharing my experiences with this
forum...and if anything I say can help someone that is
struggling through this...then I am glad I can help.

Several people here have helped me through a few
tough days as well.

I should personally thank more of you...just know
that I read EVERY post and wish all of you the warmest
wishes and best of luck on this journey.....

[sick_of_it]

Good Morning Lemonheads!!! Day 2 for me. I had one of those vise grip headaches roll in around 3am. It's eased up quite a bit now, but it was bad.

Crazed_pomeranian I am also freezing. I live in a warm climate, it should be in the 70s today, but I'm walking around with layers of warm clothes on, craving a steamy hot chocolate. I think the chills are part of the process. Zip up and hang in there.

Nature_Girl Thanks for the words of encouragement and advise. I'm trying to tough it out this time, but I'm really not looking forward to feeling that ill again.

I'm off to find some prepH wipes, I hear they are a cleanser's best friend.

[GG]

Nature Girl- Thank you soooo much for the tip on trying Get Regular tea instead of Smooth Move. I am looking forward to something different. Anything different!! The lemonade elixer in a tall glass with some ice might be a welcome change too.

Day 5 I woke up feeling alive and optomistic. However, mid day and I'm a little on the blue side. I've just had water today and I'm thinking that may be some of the cause. Ya think??

I want to snap out of this funk, so I came here for some white lights. And I'm getting what I need, thank you all!

I'm detoxing today. My face looks quite ashen. But, reading your wonderful stories and thoughts makes me sit up straight and want to smile.

Half way through! Phew what a ride. I'm thinking about life after the 1st MC. For a meat and martini fan, this will be a dramatic change...a good change though.

Always an adventure....may yours be a great one too!
GG

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Hey PeanutbutterB! I was worrying about you, glad to hear things are going more smoothly for you now.

Sick of It, I think this is a good thing to do during the swealtering days of Summer, at least the chills could be put to good use..LOL

I had a slight headache a little while ago, but it's gone and I'm actually feeling really good. I think the excercise last night helps too. I'm almost surprised I'm feeling this good on the third day...should I prepare myself for a slight crash?

I think I need to up the lemonade I'm drinking, I started cautiously with 6 glasses, but only have anything resembling a major elimination in the AM. Other than that it's rather spartan. I'm also adding a dash bit more than the prescribed amount of cayanne pepper to see if that helps.

My tongue has a slight yellowish tinge...anyone have a clue what the color means?

Still taking it one day at a time, I guess that's all any of us can do. Reading these boards helps enormously when I feel the urge to quit too soon.

[haelee]

i'm at day 5 today, too. yeay!

i always know where to turn when i'm needing a little encouragement...this thread has made this possible for me. i would not be still doing this if it weren't for all of you. thanks for sharing experiences, answering questions, commiserating, inspiring, and cheering. i'd give you all hugs if you were here in my work cubicle with me! ;o)

feeling pretty energetic today, but my walk up the stairs to my office was a bit of a chore this a.m. (i'm only on the 3rd floor), and i'm a little worried about my tennis lesson tonight...don't want to tell my pro that i'm doing this (just don't want to get into it), but she may notice i'm a bit sluggish...i'll have to chug some lemonade right before i start to give me a boost!

feeling chilly in general, have a little bit of a runny nose, and my eliminations have been pretty similar from day 2 to now. not sure if any of my days to come while doing this will bring more hard-core detox symtoms...? that headache i had on day 2 sucked, probably like sick of it's vise grip headache.

the peppermint tea has been a saving grace for me, so for anyone getting sick of the taste of the lemonade, if you've not had some mint tea, i highly recommend it.

thanks again everyone, i appreciate each and every post!!!

[Fergy]

Hi MCers! I am gearing up for MC4 and thought I'd pass along some of the lessons I've learned along the way:

1. I drink the SWF thru 2 straws, put them at the back of my tongue and you can gulp without taste. It takes me about 5 min to get it down that way.

2. Try substituting limes for lemons when you've reached the lemonade wall and can't gag anymore down. It is a nice change and tastes different too. Limes are allowed on the MC. Also try heating the lemonade.

3. You are COLD because your metabolism has slowed down in response to not ingesting food. It is normal. You will return to normal when you're done.

4. I've cleansed for a total of 39 days in 3 previous MCs and my tongue never turned pink. Guess I've got more to go!

5. If you're tired...REST! Listen to your body. Its ok to be tired, its detox. Remember the symptoms should pass with the next day's eliminations.

One positive thing that's come out of the MC is that I no longer drink milk and rarely eat cheese or other dairy. I feel SO much better, no gas or stuffiness, both of which I believe are caused by pasteurized/homogenized milk.

If you feel bad drink more lemonade. I tend to sip it all day rather than ingest a large amount all at the same time. I think it helps keep blood sugar level and you don't get really hungry that way.

I also quit smoking during my Jan cleanse and it was sooo easy. Unfortunately I started back up again about a month ago, so here we go again. This time I am determined it will be the last. There, it's my public declaration!

Keep going everyone, you're doing great. Lemonheads rock!

Fergy

[mrsmezen]

Hey everyone, good morning! So, I lied, I decided to start back up tomorrow instead of today because I have a final tonight and would like to have a clear mind. I was curious though....can we drink tea other than the mint tea as a little change from the norm? Like green tea with lemon, or some other organic tea that tastes good?? Let me know, I am going to go shopping today and get a few things. I decided that I need a little variety and I will be able to make it through.
Thanks!

[Genniyah]

Hi - I'm new here... I'm on day 11 of the MC and this is my first time. I learned about it online months ago and got the Burroughs book, and when I started doing one-day fasts to get used to the idea, I heard from two local friends that they'd done the MC and had such good results, they inspired me to do it for real.

The main reason I'm doing this is to try to recover from hypertension and just to be healthier in general. Losing lots of weight (50lbs.) will help lower my blood pressure but I'm planning to deal with that by an intense exercise program this spring and summer. I'm walking one mile daily during the fast (weather permitting) but will increase that to three miles daily after the fast. I saw the nurse practitioner yesterday and found out I'm already ten pounds less than my normal weight, but I'm sure a lot of that was water.

As for how I'm doing... so far, it is getting better every day. I'm glad I found this board and all you people to talk to about this because most of the people in my life don't understand why I'm doing this... at all.

Though I've passed the 10th day now, I feel no need to quit fasting. I will continue as long as it feels right to me.

[Fergy]

mrsmezen - you can only use the supplies Burroughs lists - so it has to be organic peppermint tea. The peppermint helps your breath and is a nice break from the tartness of the lemonade. Hope this helps!

Fergy

[mrsmezen]

Thanks Fergy! Is there a particular brand of laxative tea that you can recomend, or that anyone else can recomend for that matter? A friend of mine that is doing the MC as well gave me some TM Chocolate Smoothe Moove and it is terrible, I am looking to find one that tastes a little better....

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

I don't mind the Chocolate Smooth Move, I think they make one that isn't chocolate as well. But I've recently found BIJA makes one as well, that's not bad either. It's called "Gentle Senna" or something like that.

[peanutterb]

Boy do I have a story.
But first let me catch up

Ms Mezen - Yogi "get regular" tea is good. I have it with a bag of peppermint as well. Actually I have the chocolate smooth move (which is all my stupid whole foods had) with the peppermint and it tastes much better. Sometimes I add a little lemon as a treat. well i guess it's not really a treat since I eat so much lemon as is. lol merk.

Welcome Genniyah!
I'm on day 11 too. Glad to hear you lost so much weight and have been going well. I wish you all the best in your journey. This message board has been a great help for me too bc of all the skeptics in my life, especially now since I came down with a sinus infection.

Fergy - Thanks for all the advice. Very helpful stuff cus I was concerned about my tongue too. Also, you need to add #6 Get baby wipes and extra soft toilet paper ahead of time. Best wishes on quitting smoking!

Crazy_Pom - thanks for the concern. I was pretty worried there myself too. Almost succumbed to taking meds until my friend told me to wait til today and thankfully today I feel great.

So here's my story:
Garlic is good for clearing congestion. It has antiviral and antibacterial properties and is good to take when you have a cold or flu. So I went and got some garlic and made some tea out of boiling 4 cloves in 8 oz of water then adding some lemon and MS. It went down well. I smelled like garlic but I kinda like that smell and I'm at home alone so it's ok.
Then, I got really ambitious a few hours later and decided I'd eat a clove of garlic as a few friends had recommended to me and my research touted as a good idea. I cut it up into four, put it on my tongue then put in 1/2 tbs of MS as a sort of chaser.
I suddenly became very religious. I called on Jesus, God, the holy spirit, angels, Mary - anybody at all who was in heaven, associated to heaven or on their way to heaven. IT BURNED my mouth. It was awful. It made water come to my eyes but I kept chewing and getting that juice. Finally I spit it out and ran to cut a lemon which I licked and squeezed it directly into my mouth - seeds and all. Then i downed a glass of very cayenney lemonade and a glass of water and a cup of peppermint tea. LMAO. What an adventure. All in the name of not wanting to take meds and be "natural".

[Fergy]

mrsmezen - I use the Smooth Move. Note that steeping time does affect it's potency...I usually steep mine for about 10 min. I've never had the tea wake me in the middle of the night like others...it just seems to kick in about the same time as the SWF. Pure senna teas are stronger from a laxative perspective, so read the label. The Smooth Move is a blend so it seems better tolerated.

The night before you start the cleanse drink the tea. I eat light a couple days before. If you're a caffeine drinker avoid it for a couple days before the MC or you'll have a whale of a headache when you start. You might not get instant results from the SWF the first morning you take it. It usually takes until day 2 for it to kick in for me. You should start on a weekend so you'll know how much time to allow if you have to leave in the am. It takes about 2 hours for me and then I'm done for the day.

peanutterb - hilarious story! You might never look at garlic the same again! Your congestion could be due to detox, I know it's miserable but ride it out!

crazed_pom - my tongue was a yellow/green color last MC...lovely. I started using toothpaste from the health food store...J/A/S/O/N Powersmile peppermint. It's great on the MC and afterwards. You can google on tongue coatings and find what the colors are supposed to mean. Or look here on the boards I know there are previous posts on this topic.

If you have to attend an "eating" function and don't want to discuss MC as most people don't understand, I tell people I have to have a test and can't eat. They know what kind of test you're referring to and don't ask anymore questions!!

Fergy

[mrsmezen]

Great story PB, but I thought you couldn't eat anything on the cleanse. I went on my lunch hour to the local health foods store in my area and scouted out some different teas that I might buy, so tomorrow when I start my cleanse for the third time (hopefully I can make it past day two this time) I will go get my teas to add to the others I have for some variety.
So, can everyone tell me what days were the hardest for them when they did the cleanse for the first time??
Fun chatting with all of you!

[sick_of_it]

It's 4:30pm on day 2 and I'm suddenly very, very, hungry. So, I drank some lemonade, poured a big glass of water and tuned in to the boards. I keep repeating to myself...Chocolate does not control me.

It's 4:38, still hungry. Please, make it stop!

[Genniyah]

Day 11, and I'm very tired. I'm surprised because I've had so much energy the last 5 or 6 days. I guess I'm doing a detox thing so occasional exhaustion isn't surprising.

sick_of_it: My hardest days were the first three. After that I'd adjusted and had lots of energy, and didn't miss the food so much.

peanutterb: Thanks for the welcome - I do appreciate it. How long are you planning to continue fasting?

monkeymomma: I appreciate the new thread. I'd tried to post to the other thread for days without success... didn't realize the number of postings slowed things down.

This afternoon I'm drinking limeade for a change.

I use the 'chocolate smooth move tea' and no swf since I have high blood pressure problems and am concerned about injesting that much salt at one time. I think next time (or maybe this time if I keep fasting past about 20 days) I'm going to order tea online.

I keep reading about using peppermint, but I couldn't find anything in my Burroughs book about it. Can anyone give me a page number?

[Teenabe]

I just finished my first day. All I have thought about is food! I have a killer headache and even though I am not terribly hungry, I have to keep talking myself out of going to get something to eat!! My daughter brought in some McDonalds Fries tonight and the smell alone is overpowering. How long before the urge to eat stops? Does it stop? This is my first day of my first cleanse. I have set a goal of 21 days. Is this reasonable for a first timer, or am I just setting myself up for failure? I managed to stay busy enough during the day...but night time is here and I am weak and a big night time snacker. I am looking for the power to overcome!!

[Genniyah]

Hi Teenabe, this is my first day posting here but 11th day of fasting. It is my first MC experience so I don't know if 21 days is reasonable but I can tell you of my experience so far. I'm going strong... and may make it to 21 days my first time. I don't see why not, even with my medical problems (mainly hypertension).

After the first two or three days the headaches should dissipate and you won't miss food as much. I remember my first few days as being a time of complete exhaustion and inability to concentrate on my work as a webdesigner, but after that lots of energy kicked in and I did fine.

Good luck with your fasting...

[Honeysuckle1]

[quote author=peanutterb link=board=mastercleanse;num=1142776753;start=45#48 date=03/21/06 at 17:10:52] Yogi "get regular" tea is good. I have it with a bag of peppermint as well. Actually I have the chocolate smooth move (which is all my stupid whole foods had) with the peppermint and it tastes much better.


Hi Everyone,

Peanutterb I am also using the Yogi Peppermint and Get Regular teas. I love them! They take the harshness off of the senna within the Get Regular tea.

I am in Day 8. Can not believe it. I am not feeling well today at all extremely irritable, a LOT of eliminations, fatigue and tiredness, a slight fever with weakness but despite it all such a clarity which I find to be hilarious. I had to laugh with everyone after reading about the dreams. I also had a dream last night about a dinner party (lol). I was strategizing my first meal AFTER the cleanse which made me feel so guilty (LOL).

My purpose for doing the cleanse is to allow my body to detox. I also wanted to allow myself the opportunity to use the clarity that comes with the cleanse to start some creative projects and create a clear space where I can receive some answers to some decisions I need to make.

I love the openness and the participation of everyone. I am so inspired by everyone! Hang in there everyone!

[peanutterb]

Hey yall
today was great.
(despite the garlic incident)
I did a kick boxing tape and went for a walk around my subdivision. I hadn't worked out at all on this fast until today.

I didn't eat the garlic, fyi, just chewed it up and spit it out. All i needed wa s the juices. I'm making more tea now. I have to wait for my short term memory to fade until I try to bite into a clove again. Funny this is, I probably will do it again tomorrow. lol (if you told me dirt was good for me, high in fiber and helped cure cancer I'd sprinkle some salt on it and eat a bowlful)

I think I'll end this fast any day now. So Tomorrow, day 12 may be my last. Or day 13, 14 or 15. I def have to stop by day 15 to give myself enough time to ease back into eating cus i'm travelling next week.

Remember this one thing friends, whatever's going on with you right now, no matter how bad it seems, this too shall pass.
Take it from me - I was ready to lay down in the freeway a few days ago.

So if you have a headache - that will pass
if you're hungry - that will pass
if you have cravings - that will pass (ok i can't prove that cus i still want to eat almonds and cream of wheat like nobody's business)
if you feel weak or tired - that will pass
if you feel sick/flu-like or like you'll be better off being run over by a semi - *say it with me* that too will pass

good night and happy squeezing.

p.s. my cycle started today and my appetite was so open. I have had like ten glasses of lemonade so far today. But that's ok at least i don't have cramps.

[peanutterb]

I was kidding about goodnight. We all knew i'd be back.

Question no one has yet answered for me:

About breaking the fast:
Prior to the fast I was a vegan and I ate tofu and fake meat and boca burgers and that type of stuff.

Do I break the fast like Burroughs says a "natural vegetarian" should:
2 days of juice and then a 3rd day of fruit n salad?
(which i think is setting you up for a mostly raw/ veg only diet)

or
Do I break the fast like a meat eater would have have one day of juice and then soup on the second?

I will go back to eating tofu and fake meats, maybe not immediately, I want to try and be all fruits and veggies for a week or two then slowly reintroduce stuff like bread and rice and tofu.

I've read the threads and read the book and haven't gotten an answer yet. Would love to know what you guys think.

[mycroftxxx]

(if you told me dirt was good for me, high in fiber and helped cure cancer I'd sprinkle some salt on it and eat a bowlful)


hmmm well would you believe dirt IS good for you? lol! ;D

do a search for bentonite made of clay it does qualify as dirt in my books...

;D so go out and start shovelling it down your mouth B ;)

[stellabella]

Hi everybdy,

Well I didn't quite make it the 40 days I was hoping for. I stopped the MC at day 29. Still happy with my accomplishment. Will probably try another one again in a couple of months. Good luck to everyone and happy squeezing! Stellabella

[kryz]

hi all,

ok i'm here for my fourth attempt at MC, having done one every 6 months, but only lasting 5 days. In fact i've never had significant results really, probably because; 1) 5 days isn't long enough to really get full effect
2) i have broken the fast by going straight into the bad foods i was trying to break free of my addiction to (read: fries, meat...mmmmm...meat)
3) i want to see results in terms of weight loss but it's hard to shift this stomach bulge, i have tried by excercise and healthy eating to no avail. I suppose it drops off easier when your overweight but likes to grip on when its just a few kilo's excess....

on day 3, got invited to a BBQ tonite and nearly quit the whole thing when i pictured that steak grilling to perfection (ooooh baby) but have made myself another batch of lemonade instead(i have to force this stuff down me... only managed 4 glasses each of the last 2 days) ... i need to keep looking down at my big belly for motivation... thought i'd better get on the BB so i would have extra motivation ....have been very inspired by reading everyone's posts so a big thankyou and hopefully some encouragement back to you!! YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!

[haelee]

hi all!

teenabe - i'm a first timer too, on day 6 now, and days 1 - 3 were the worst for me re. thinking about food, dreaming about food, craving specific foods, etc. i have to say i've felt much better on days 4 and 5, and today i feel great. so peanutterb is right...all the bad stuff? it too shall pass! hang in there!!

peanutterb - sounds like the diet you have in your non-MC life is the same as mine...i'm curious to see if anyone responds to your post re. how to come off the cleanse...i was planning on doing juice on the first day off of it and soup the second, unless someone strongly advises otherwise...

on day 2 off of the cleanse i also have to sample vegan wedding cake for an out-of-town friend of mine who's coming "home" to get married; she's charged me with finding the most delicious vegan wedding cake to be had (no pressure!) ...i hope the woman who's making the sample for me won't be offended if i don't wolf it down.

still having, ah, productive eliminations in the a.m. (only day i had an elimination at any other time of day was on day 4...quite a surprise, and quite...grossly fascinating).

alrighty then, time to drink my first lemonade of the day and prep for work...thanks again, everyone, for the awsome support and openness and inspiration!!!

[peanutterb]

Good morning Master Squeezers.

I feel fantastic today. I woke up singing praises. When was the last time that happened? I hope it carries thru today because I have my big end of the quarter presentation to prove to everyone and myself that I don't suck. So please, around 9:30 tonight, send up some blessings for me.
And last night before my shower, i did in fact chew on another clove of garlic and it wasn't half as bad as the first experience. So I'll have another one this morning after my SWF and ginger tea. I know these things aren't part of the fast but I'm definitely feeling better and I feel so good about getting thru this episode without taking medicine as I'm used to. And yes, I do smell like someone should dip me in marinara sauce and have me on the side of a plate of pasta.

Ken, your arguement on the benefits of dirt weren't compelling enough. sorry.

Stellabella - 29 days is amazing. You did really well. Congrats. And next time, you'll make it to 30 (or more) look at your accomplishments! You are amazing!

Kryz - YOU CAN DO IT! 5 days doesn't really do much you're right. Try to stay the minimum of 10 days this time. And belly fat is the hardest to get rid of. Surprisingly I've lost 2 inches off my waist (that I know I'll probably gain back once I start eating) but it's still a nice feeling I'm enjoying right now. I'd recommend working out as well cus that is the hardest place for most people. Cardio and stuff like the rowing machine and doing yoga stretches should help. Best wishes and I hope you make it to 10 days this time!

Haelee! I've gotten one answer so far, and that was that soup was ok and that it really didn't matter. I personally want the soup cause I make a ridiculously good veggie soup but I don't mind juicing for two days. I won't go back to eating tofu and stuff immediately anyway cus where I'm from in the Caribbean either doesn't have it or it's super expensive. So I'll dine on all the fresh fruits and veggies and whatever other goodies my mother wants to stuff in my mouth for two weeks until I get back stateside.

[ladydee]

Howdy Lemonheads -

Forgive the redundancy but i am posting on both 2006 threads.

(Recap: MC1 15 days, 12/28/05-1/11/06. MC2 16 days, 1/14 - 1/29. MC3 10 days 2/1-2/10; MC4 Mar.1 - Present)

At last, i am on day 22 (MC4) so that means, i *made it* to d21 - yesterday!!!

As i wrote in another thread, this MC4 was often a struggle, as i was hungrier than on prior cleanses. My major de-tox symtoms are tiredness or erratic energy levels (manic then lethargy) & a truly foul tongue coating. But i persevered!!!

i did it by reading this board and another one, and re-reading several reference books (that i've had since the late '70's) on the benefits of (water) fasting. And to repeat - i am coming off this cleanse, "by the book" wth juices and veggie broth & etc. Then, plan to make raw smoothies a main dietary item.

i did it by the (Burroughs) book: lemonades wth fresh squeezed lemon juice, daily salt water flushes; laxative & peppermint tea each night, and lots of water. Also, daily exercise (30-60 minutes). Weight loss seems to be abt 10 lbs . . . but then, i stopped losing or rather, i gained muscle from all the exercise. At any rate, my clothes are much looser and i look and feel great. :)

The spiritual and mental benefits are . . . wonderful. i am calmer and more focused and re-committed to some major goals, as i wrote somewhere else. Mainly, i live in a realm of "gratitude and acceptance," these last few days.

i am going to try to get to 31 days but if i don't - that's fine. Then, wth modified eating habits and a modified overall lifestyle, will give the MC a rest for 5-6 months.

For those of you just starting or in the middle of the MC . . . keep going. Stay committed and involved *and* enjoy yourselves. You can do this and it is truly worth it. :)

(Btw, i am enjoying this thread and everyone's postings; i'd answer each of you, but then, i'd miss my exercise session and can't do that but peanutterb - you crack me up! Special good lucks and hugs and lemony smooches to each of you okay?)

**Note: Do not publish this or any of my posts without my written permission. Thanks.**

[mrsmezen]

Hell everyone! I started my MC today, so far, so good! :) I feel good and woke up in good spirits this morning. Had my SWF, didn't know what to expect with that and boy am I glad that I did it an hour and a half before I had to leave for work. I had to run to the bathroom 4 times in an hour. Too much information, I know. But, can anyone tell me if that is normal, or should I be worried cause I have already exceded the required amounts of eliminations for the day and that was before my lemonade. Hmmmmmmm

[Genniyah]

Yesterday evening I spent too much time on this board reading threads from people coming off the fast, and the recipes in the raw food lifestyle section. Big Mistake!... next thing I knew I was hungry and ready to end the fast, even mourning that I'd have to end it slowly. So from now on I'm staying away from the cooking threads because as I'm a vegetarian, I love vegetable soup and am looking forward so much to the day I can have some.

Meanwhile, my resolve has resurfaced and I'm doing day 12 happily, with energy and peace. My exhaustion from yesterday has disappeared.

[amylneal]

Day three and going strong. Woke up with great energy the past two days, and the fog lift was immediate. I'm feeling kind of jumpy and ADD today but hopefully that will pass. My spine feels kind of tingly.

Only doing the 10 days but l always get caught up in the counting down. Obsessing. Nonetheless, I'll make it. I've done it twice before, but would like to break the fast a little better this time.

Many thanks to all of you for your support and inspiration! This board is priceless!

Amy

[mrsmezen]

Amy! Congratulations on making it to day three! I agree with you on the obesessing thing. That's why I couldn't make it past day two last weekend, but I am back and going strong-determined to make it to day 10. This is my first time doing this and I am only half of the way through day 1. I found out that my weakness is dinner time, that is when I cave and start turing into turbo brat, or that's what happened last time. I totally caved and had a soy yogurt, and then some popcorn and I had to stop myself before it got worse and I ate everything in the whole house.
So, here I am, giving it one more try. I have a new outlook on it so hopefully I will have the will power to stick to it this time! :)

[amylneal]

mrsmezen: you can do it. I actually tried to start the MC every day for the past week prior to actually doing it, and always found a reason. I finally woke up on Monday and knew it was my day! No problems at dinner, I'm too busy with my kids. It's strange - I cook better and more things for them and my husband when I'm fasting than when I'm not.

Also, I think the obsession thing comes from boredom. My heads clears so well during the cleanse that I'm able to work triple-time, and then I get bored at work. There is always plenty to do but now it all seems so mundane rather than overwhelming, as is usually the case.

Lots of love to my MC'ers.

PS-peanutterb-you crack me up. I'm in atl as well. Yes it was cold the other day! (even colder for us as we cleanse) so good thing you didn't make it to the interstate-even if you had, it would have been stand-still as is always anyway!

[Guest]

Hi everyone. This is my first cleanse and I am one day 5. Days 2, 3 and most of 4 were very wonderful. I was full of energy, no side effects and had a feeling of great positivity. Today is a bit harder though. I have been tempted to quit, but I know this is for the good of my wellbeing and I already feel a lot more healthy than I have been in the past. *takes deep breath* Im going to stick with it for the 10 days, I know I will, its just getting a bit harder... I know some people say the first few days are harder than the latter days, but I guess its different for everyone :) Many blessings to you all and keep it up!

[nature_girl]

Jeez louise! I was only gone for one day and there are 3 pages of posts in that time!

Day 9 for me....I'm only going 10, so I'm getting excited about tomorrow being my last day. Starting to think about how breaking the fast will work for me this time. On my first MC, I was terrible about breaking the fast. Started out with the OJ and then thought....hmmmm, maybe just a few raw pumpkin seeds (seems harmless). Next thing I knew I was gorging on the pumpkin seeds and moving on to popcorn...no butter, but still. I didn't feel bad physicallly, but I knew I was supposed to only be doing the juice (and certainly not popcorn!). Fast forward to breaking my second MC. This was a mediocre attempt. I did the OJ all day and then had some veggie soup that evening. Next day was veggie soup, salad, and some saurkraut. I felt fine and wasn't too disappointed about my effort to break the fast, even though it wasn't by the book. I think with this MC (#3) I'll probably do something similar to what I did last time. It's not perfect...I guess I should be doing more days of juice...but it works for me. I feel like I am so eager to chew that if I don't prepare some healthy veggie options, I'll end up gorging on something I shouldn't. Once the flood gates are open, my resistance is gone.

My husband had the audacity to bring chocolate into the house! He knows I'm a chocoholic. I know I can resist it now, but the day after tomorrow I'll be breaking my fast and that chocolate will be sitting there staring at me. I think I'm going to make him take it to work with him, despite what I'm sure will be very forthright protests from my daughter. He should know better...that's just cruel.

I'd reply to all of you, but with 3 pages of posts, that's beyond my reach. Welcome to the new folks. Congrats to the folks who have achieved their goals. Extreme praise to mrsmezen for coming back to the MC with such determination! One day at a time is great in theory, but I count down too. I especially count down when it comes time for a SWF. This is tough stuff this MC! Sure, it's blissful at times, but that bliss sure don't come easy! We must honor ourselves daily because we are so empowered with every passing day.

Hugs all around!

[mrsmezen]

Nature_Girl, thanks for the praise, you made me smile! :) I am doing so much better today than I was last time! I have high hopes for the next 9 days. Hopefully my husband doesn't tempt me with pizza again. I just had one of my non-supportive co workers come up and offer me some of my favorite chocolate so, I'm not too happy about that but I will be okay!!! Good luck to all of you out there!
Dayna :)

[mrsmezen]

Hey guys, I started a seperate post to ask this question and haven't gotten any feed back, so maybe one of you can answer it for me.....Thanks!

Hi all, just had a question for anyone out there that knows the answer. I am on day one and I had to run to Trader Joes to get more lemons, these lemons are quit a bit larger than the others that I had. So, I am thinking that I probably put about 3 or 4 Tbsp of lemon juice in my last lemonade and the book said not to vary the amount of lemon juice in your drinks. Do you think this will cause a problem with the cleansing/detox process if I get a bit more juice in some than others? I find personal experiences are better to go by than the book sometimes.
Thanks everyone!!
Dayna

[Honeysuckle1]

Hi Everyone!

Totally amazed by everyone's progress. Congratulations to everyone on your awesome progress! It is so encouraging. Your post encouraged me to get OFF the ledge I was committed to throwing myself off of (lol).

Day 8- Peanut---you were so right. It did pass. I feel SOOO much better! I am still detoxing but not with all of the symptoms. I feel clearer and FINALLY some ENERGY!!!! Ok, I believe! (LOL)

Healing hugs to everyone!

[missfae]

It is nice to see so many new faces. Â*Wow, it seems like we are having a tough time on the fast this time around. Â*I know that I am, this is the second one for me, the first lasted 28 days. Â*I am curently on day 3 and have another 39 days to go.... It is a struggle for some reason, but I will get it together. Â*I will start exercising next week and that will take my mind off of food, I hope.

http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/36/36_19_1.gif

I am really starving and the juice and water are not helping... I hope this will past in a couple of days. Â*I was really tempted today because I kept smelling chicken as I was out shopping, but I have to remember the benefits of the first fast.... Â*I lost 16 lbs and that will keep me going.

To all of you, hang in there are we are here to help each other. Â*http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_18_102.gif

Also, thanks peanutterb for telling me about this board, that's what I get for being too lazy to read further... Â*:)

I tried to Smooth Move, but it cramps me too much. Â*I found another brand that tastes good and works for me, I will put the name in my next posting as I am in bed and it is in the kitchen.

Ta for now, keep on squeezing those lemonds, it is good for you and....


KEEP ON TRUCKING Â* http://img493.imageshack.us/img493/4918/keepontrucking0eh.gif

[peanutterb]

Just wanted to write real quick. Trying to go to sleep asap.
My presentation went well. I'm officially on holiday! Dance with me!!
(I'm really on this excited in my head, in real life I'm using match sticks to hold up my eyelids)

anyway BIG DEBATE today on whether tomorrow should be my last day. Part of the day I said yes. Part of the day I said no. Then I didn't buy any oranges and I took my lax tea. But I said I'd pray on it and see how I feel in the morning.
It doesn't make a difference anyway really. Well kinda. I have a friend coming into town and I'd like to go out and eat with her at least one time. But I guess I don't have to. I like not worrying about what and where I'm going to eat. I like having more hours in the day. I like the stability of the lemonade. But I also like ethiopian food. and guacamole. and salads and fruits. and sitting and talking and laughing while sharing food with a friend...

Today I just felt ready to be done. And the lemonade wasn't keeping me full really. But that couldve been my upgraded stress level and anxiety about my presentation and my period... But still...

i donno what to do

*sigh* tomorrow will be better.

[peanutterb]

Well it's me again.
Good morning!

Decided to keep on squeezing for another day!

Let me reply to everyone's recent posts:

Congrats Ladydee! You're fr*gging awesome. Not regular awesome but fr*gging awesome.

Also congrats Mrsmezen on starting. Sometimes that's the hardest part. Trust your body and God. Everything takes care of itself. Let your mind focus on other things. You'll be surprised how much discipline you have when you allow yourself to. I find alot of time we hardly try and just say no i can't before we just go ahead and do it, jump in, feet first and just start swimming. Even if you don't know how to swim, you will start doing something, anything, that will keep you above water. Your body adjusts and like I said, God and your baby take care of everything. Let them do it.
- try to do it by the book and keep it closer to the amt of lemons required

Genniyah - i saved reading the threads about breaking the fast until my day 9 so it was a treat. and then i got sick and didn't break the fast so *sigh* yeah whatever i don't wanna talk about it any more

Amyineal - I can see clearly now the fog is gone... come on sing it with me! =)
I hear ya on the ADD. I already have a short attention span and now it's even worse.
I was in the middle of a conversation last night and I go "Dakota Fanning is a good name" and then they all go into this discussion about how they don't like her and this and that and then I go "Who is Dakota Fanning? I thought I made that name up."

Go Atlanta. I wish it would stop being cold asap. I thought it was spring. At least the pollen hasn't started taking over our lives yet.

You and Mrsmezen need to take it one day at a time. Don't worry about tomorrow, it will take care of itself. You make sure everything is fit and irie today and everything else will fall into place.
If dinner is a problem, maybe don't go around them for a while. Go for a walk or find something else to do. Or have your lemonade in a soup bowl and eat with your family. Don't put yourself in trouble's way if you know you can't handle it as yet. But don't worry, you'll get stronger.

nature_girl - Congrats on making it to day ten. i'd love to know how breaking the fast goes. perhaps I can live vicariously thru you since it seems everytime i say i'm going to break i don't. (i think i enjoy the SWF a little underneath it all). your husband is a wicked wicked man and i think that is grounds for divorce. i'll represent you in court if you need a lawyer. (i'm not a real awyer but i am a good actor)

missfae - more maple syrup if you're starving. i was like that first day of my period too. if the tea cramps you let it soak less. or try another brand. yogi get regular for instance.

hmm that's everyone i think. lemme see if this post is long enough.

eh. lemme ask a question first:
do i have to use organic oranges and veggies to break the fast? cus if i wake up tomorrow morning and decide i'm ready to break i want to be able to go to the store up the street and grab the stuff instead of all the way to whole foods (which i hate) or the farmer's market (which is far).

ok. now i think it's long enough.

[haelee]

hi all,

day 7 for me...thanks, nature girl, for describing how you came off your previous MC's and what your plan is for this one. i have a feeling i'll be doing oj and grapefruit j and maybe even a little carrot j in the evening on mon, then fruit juice tues a.m./early p.m. and soup and raw veggies tues eve. i have to taste that dang vegan wedding cake tues p.m., too; i hope it doesn't upset my stomach....but i also look forward to it, for obvious reasons (chocolate cake with a touch of orange and chocolate frosting.....!!!).

glad to hear your presentation went well, peanutter, congratulations!

despite my post early in the a.m. yesterday, i started feeling bad bad bad in the afternoon, and left work early to go vegetate and get warm on the couch (i live in tampa and it was probably 70-something degrees out, but my feet remained icy-cold throughout the day). my stomach was bothering me, predominantly. i woke up this a.m. feeling great, though, so i'm ready to plow on ahead with this...love feeling "clean," love having the time to think about and figure out what i've been doing wrong re. my eating habits up to now, love thinking about what i'm going to do different once i'm finished with the cleanse. i also love reading all the posts...keep on sharing and feeling strong, everyone!

[starcarbon]

Hi - I am on Day 20 of MC5. This one has gone great and I am hesitant to give up though I plan to do so tomorrow. I think from boredom and being tired of squeezing. For all those in the middle, keep on going, it is so worth it.

Has anyone followed the plan after a fast of drinking the lemonade during the day and a normal meal for dinner? How does it work? Or is there a thread on here that discusses it? I am wondering if the lax tea and SWF are necessary for that plan, it seems continuing that for too long would be detrimental.

Thanks.

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

I feel like the company guinea pig. There are a couple of people who are interested, or just plain curious, in trying the MC themselves. I've sent the link to this site to a few people who wondered what it was about.

People come by my desk and ask how I'm feeling today. It's like I'm a curiousity to them. They seem to be wondering if I'm going to fall over from "not eating", I keep explaining the lemonade helps so much to keep my energy levels up and at the same time (without being too graphic to them) cleans my system.

Others are just. not. helpful. "Oh come on...one little bite of (fill in the blank) won't hurt you?" I have to fall back into the old line I used when I was loosing 100 lbs. (via Atkins...hey it worked for me 6-7 years ago...and it stayed off)..."Excuse me, but if I were an alcholic would you be offering me a drink?".

[mrsmezen]

Crazed_Pom, I totally feel your pain. As you have probably read, I started the MC and failed the first two times and everyone at my office was asking me about it and they were not supportive at all which did not help my cause. So, when I started it up again yesterday (which is going great by the way!) I didn't tell anyone, just made my lemonade and did my thing. Some people know because they asked me and I told them...and they are doing the same thing to me. Are you okay?? Do you have enough energy?? Can I get you anything?? Um, hi I'm not dying here....I'm just cleansing, leave me alone, geeze. If you have words of encouragement then by all means....otherwise go back to your desk! I had one co-worker try to force my favorite chocolate on me yesterday because he didn't agree with what I am doing. People suck, that is why I am glad that I have you guys to talk to and keep me motivated!
Great Job Everyone!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

[Genniyah]

I am on day 13 and am about to give it all up and go get some oranges. I don't want to but I don't have the funds to keep buying maple syrup right now.

We live in the boonies and the syrup is $6.50 per jar here. Is that what you're paying? I just had my income drop considerably this month and am feeling a money crunch. How many jars do you go through? I'm going through a jar of syrup every two days.

So since I can't afford to keep buying it - I'm going to go buy oranges instead and start breaking the fast today.

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Genniyah 13 days :O that seems like a fair amount of time to be on the cleanse. You've passed the minimum of recommended days, so you should congratulate yourself on a job well done.

When the funds are better you can always take it up again.

I'm thinking of doing like another poster (can't think of the name right now, so forgive me) who wants to do it every six months. That sounds like a reasonable plan of action.

[amylneal]

Day 4 here and everyone at the office is driving me crazy too! They're not bothering me about the cleanse, just everyone and everything stinks! The fridge, the trash, the smokers and all of the disarray and slack seem to jump to the front of my view right now and it's driving me crazy!

Ok I'm done with that. Seriously though. My husband 'stank' like sour milk last night. I had to carry incense around so that I didn't have to smell him. Do we all really stink? Do we only notice it when we're cleansing? My sense is even more heightened, I think, b/c I quit smoking the same day I quit eating for the MC.

Keep up the great work and thanks for your continued support, my lemony friends.

[mrsmezen]

Wholy cow I am freezing!!!! I have a wool scarf around my neck and chin and the people I work with think I am crazy. Is this a normal reaction to the cleanse. Also, I lost 3 lbs after just the first day!!! Is that normal as well??

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Mrsmerzen ditto. Good thing I keep a black pashima scarf/shawl in my office. I am warm (well sort of ::) ) and oh so stylish!

[amylneal]

mrsmezen-i'm freezing too. I had a dr. appointment yesterday and my blood pressure was 80/42. It's usually around 90/45. This is my 3rd MC and I've frozen on all of them. I keep a space heater in my office and my door closed so as not to let the heat out. I get cold when I have to walk to the copier. My husband won't sleep with me right now b/c I use so many blankets (good thing, he stinks like sour milk anyway!).

Keep up the good work and try to stay warm!

[haelee]

i haven't really told the people i work with what i'm up to, although a few have asked me what i've been drinking. i just tell them i'm doing a juice fast...a couple have asked for more details, and when i tell them, they're just like "ooooh...ok. 'nough said." i think they're sort of spooked and don't WANT to know more about it! one of my close friends here does know all about it, and she's pissed that i won't go to lunch with her this week...she's going to be surprised when i STILL won't go out to lunch with her nearly as often once i'm done with this...will be bringing in from home healthy, raw lunches much more often!! :)

re. smelling things/people, i just got out of a meeting with two people on my team whom i have never "smelled" before, and i could smell their breath...each of them individually, and it/they were rank. sort of a...i don't know...cheesy-skunky smell out of one, and a more metallic-sour-milk smell out of the other. i think it's from eating dairy (them, not me)...that, or i'm having olfactory hallucinations.

have a wonderful rest of your day, people, and thanks for all of the interesting posts!

[Genniyah]

Hello, lemon-lovers,

Day 13 for me... and I'm feeling fantastic. I squeezed an orange this morning then decided to take my one-mile walk ... but felt so good at the end of a mile, I decided to go on the full 3-mile and 3-hill route. I just got back, cooled down, and feel better than ever.

I started the fast as a way to prepare my body to ease off hypertension medications. Well here are the results. I started with blood pressure of about 140/75 and during the fast cut my Atenolol (beta blocker) intake from 75mg to 50mg. I took my bp this morning and it was about 112/60, so if that continues after the fast I may cut that med to 25mg.

Right after my walk today I took my bp and it was 83/66. I walked at least 3 and 1/2 miles.

What worries me is my pulse rate. It used to be about 60 a few years ago when I took my EMT class and that was considered slow. Now it has been around 40-45 since before the fast, and this morning it was so low it didn't register on my bp machine! After the walk and a slight cool-down I was up to 75.

I heard from a friend that a pulse as low as 40 has caused some people to get pacemakers. I REFUSE to do that... I want so much to be healthy and get off these blood pressure medications. I will break my fast because I must, but I will not give up. I will be back. And for tonight I think I'll just take 25mg of the Atenolol since my pulse and bp have been so low the last couple of days.

I also take another bp medication, a calcium channel blocker. I've been taking these two medications for more than ten years, so I know my recovery will be slow, but so long as I don't give up I believe I have a chance of recovery.

Because of the meds I take (these and levoxyl for hypothyroid) I have a hard time losing weight. A few years ago I exercised and dieted for months and then hit a plateau at about 220 that lasted two months, then I gradually gained it all back.

Well with the Master Cleanse, I've already lost 12 pounds at least and am down to 223 again. YAY...!! And I hope to continue losing weight since I'm going to be walking nearly every day, just like I did today.

[mrsmezen]

OH MY GOSH! Okay everybody, I just realized something and I am wondering if anyone has any feedback for me. K, so I know that after a while the enzymes in the lemon juice die after being exposed to air or water..right? Well, since one drink is only a half of a lemon, I cut it in half and put the other half in a plastic baggy until I make my next lemonade. Does that do anything to the lemon to have it exposed to air? Am I still getting the nutrients I need?
Thanks everyone for responding!
Dayna

[Genniyah]

I don't know if being exposed to air would degrade the lemon's quality, but I think adding warm or hot water does. I did it anyway. I made all my lemonade in the morning - using two lemons and about 9 tablespoons of maple syrup, and a touch of cayenne, and hot water. I put it in a thermos and took it to work with me. If it was too strong I put a little spring water in when I poured it in the cup.

Happy Fasting...

[nature_girl]

Hi all!
Just got back from "the shopping trip"....if you've broken the MC before, you probably know what I'm talking about. You go get your oranges....and every other produce item in the store along with some rye crackers. I actually had gone through some recipe books earlier today and created my shopping lists based on some healthy soups and salads I intend to make this week. Oh, and I went all out with the fruit. Kicking down for the things like fresh blueberries & strawberries, pineapple, kiwis, mango....oooooh ya! Came home, put it all away, whipped up my last glass of lemonade and sat down to talk with y'all.

So here I am...end of day 10. Did I accomplish my goals? Well, I came into this wanting my back to start feeling better and wanting my stress to be under control. My back is doing better...not sure how much of that has to do with the MC, but it's still a process in any case. I think the big thing I've gained is awareness of my body. This whole cleanse I've been exercising daily and really been "in" my body, if you know what I mean. Before starting, I had spent months sort of shutting out my body because my back was causing me so much trouble...I just tuned out, and became depressed. Now I have an action plan. I'm going to do RIGHT by my body from here on out. Eat right. Exercise. Focus on my bodies needs. Nourish myself in every respect. LISTEN to my body.

So that is that. Tomorrow morning, it's fresh squeezed orange juice! I'll make up a nice soup for the evening.

Peanutterb - if your body is saying it's done and you can't get organic oranges, go for the commercial grade. At least it's a fruit that has a peel that you remove...most of the pesticides will be taken away with the peel. And in any case, it's better than going with a pre-made OJ that has already lost many of it's enzymes.

HALLELUJAH! I'm done!

To all - Good night and good luck! Hope to see some of you next time around!

[peanutterb]

Hi Yall.

So.
Yeah. I suck.

Reason # 1: I think I ate something.
I feel bloated and a little gassy because I licked too much food. LOL. I couldn't eat it and I wanted to taste it, so I admit to sticking a carrot in my mouth and maybe a cracker jack. And maybe a terra chip. But I didn't chew. Okay okay if I chewed I didn't swallow. I promise I didn't. I couldn't resist tasting things. Everything looked and smelled so good. But I didn't eat even tho they all kept encouraging me too.

Reason # 2: I took medicine.
I really couldn't stand being congested any longer so I took some nose spray earlier. It's too cold here and on top of all that I can't breathe... it was too much.

Reason #3: I'm out of lemons.
And I also magically have some organic oranges. So tomorrow (technically today) I'll start to break my fast.

Reason #4: I like the SWF
I'm drinking my lax tea and gearing up for my morning bathroom runs even tho I don't think I have to.

So I guess this is it. 13 days strong. It was a good run. I'll still be around. Yall are like my secret society of friends.

P.s. to those people who are shivering like me - it's cus our metabolism is so low. Bundle up and drink hot tea. This too shall pass (when you're done fasting)

Tomorrow = new day.

[kryz]

hey lemon heads :)

finished day 5 now and about to go to bed. feeling ok despite a long day at work and a big gym session before that. But am very happy cos i've never made it past day 5 before, but i've not caved and tomorrow will press on for day 6!!! yay!!! I think this bulletin board is what has made the difference, so thankyou all!!!

peanutterb, congrats, you've had a great run and should be proud. and i know you've inspired alot of others, too. round of applause to you ;)

not having too many symptoms, my tongue is very coated though and my teeth feel coated too, has anyone else experienced that??maybe i just need to buy more floss... otherwise all is good, i have lost a bit of belly weight, yay!! and day 2 and 3 really are the hardest for food temptation. days 4 and 5 i've had all sorts of food paraded before me and i've not even salivated at the thought. makes it much easier to stick to the lemonade (actually i'm doing limes since yesterday i think the variety in taste has helped a little too :)

keep going everyone!!! healthy bodies await!!!

[mrsmezen]

Well, I made it to day three and boy do I feel crappy today. I am moody and disoriented, and can't stay focused, I feel a little depressed too. Is this normal? Is anyone else going through this? I just want to crawl back in bed and shut out the world until tomorrow comes....Uggggggggg I want to quit, but I know I can't. Any words of advice for me fellow lemon squeezers??

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Hey Mrs. Mezen...sounds like you're into some serious detox. And...oh man...this is going to sound so redundant but you. CAN. DO. THIS!

Right now you need to get some fluids into you...the lemonade, loads of water...and flush the toxins out of your body PRONTO!

I promise tomorrow is going to be much better.

[mrsmezen]

Hey Crazed_Pom, thanks for the encouragement. I feel much better now, all of the sudden at about noon-ish I felt great, just like that! WOW. So, can you answer a question for me? I am not having the 3 or more eliminations a day like Burroughs says you should. I didn't have one yesterday, and today and day 1 I only had a few after the SWF. Should I be worried, cause I am...I want to get these toxins out. Do they only come out through eliminations??

[peanutterb]

Oh my goodness. Breaking the fast is harder than starting the fast.

I learned two things today.

1. you can't treat the orange juice the way you treat the lemonade. First off it takes at least two oranges/ grapefruits to make a glass (mixed with water) but you can't sip it and feel good. I found I need at least half a glass at a time. I made the mistake of leaving the house to run errands with 4 oranges worth of juice. wow I was hungry, had a headache, was cranky, everything.

2. Not everything at the special natural all good produce store is organic. Hmm. wish I knew that before I brought 40 lemons 2 weeks ago. Oh well. You live, you learn.

But I will persevere. This will not break me.


Mrs Mezen - you said you "only had a few" eliminations with the SWF, how much is a few? Perhaps you're looking for the wrong thing. Not all eliminations will be solids. Also, you eliminate toxics thru your pores, like thru sweating. Which is why hot showers and baths are recommended.
Stop being so worried about everything and just listen to your body and let it work. It knows what it's doing and how to take care of itself.

[mrsmezen]

Hey PB, well by a few i meant like 2 or 3. My understanding was that "eliminations" were just solids, but if fluids are included in that then I guess I am doing just fine. I just want to make sure I am doing this right and it is going okay. Thanks for your help.

[peanutterb]

hope i didn't come off as mean. it's hard to tell through writing sometimes. i understand that everything is a new experience and a little scary. Continue asking questions and sharing your experience so others can learn from it.
But definitely listen to your body. On and off this fast. And give things time. You might be feeling bad now or something weird might be going on now or you might not have enough eliminations, but give it time. I was worried too that I wasn't detoxing enough but then I realized 1. I wasn't paying enough attention and 2. when it comes, it COMES.
So just be patient and listen.

Like right now, I'm listening to my body, and she says "I want to eat pancakes."
And I know it's just because pancakces are soft and fluffy and comforting and I know it's because it's cold, I feel miserable and I miss my mother. But no biggie, I'll see mummy on Tuesday and I'll cover her with maple syrup and bite her. =)

[Genniyah]

Warning: This post is only for people who can handle mention of food.

Peanutterb, pancakes sounds so good right now. lol

You made it one more day than I did! Way to go..!! I broke my fast today after doing the orange juice thing all day yesterday. There was no way I could do one more day of oj... I went down to the Frontier Lodge (only restaurant in town) today at 10 am. Debbie handed me a breakfast menu. I looked at it, and ordered a dinner salad. Yes, I couldn't wait until noon. Then I went home and made my vegetable soup and put it in the crockpot. I've gone home several times this afternoon to get cups full of it. Right now I feel stuffed!

Actually, I feel so stuffed that the thought of going on the lemonade diet for another ten days is appealing.

Happy Fasting, everyone. I'll be back.

[Honeysuckle1]

Hi Everyone!

WOW! What progress everyone is making (GREAT HUGS TO ALL!).

CONGRATULATIONS TO PeantutB AND NATURE GIRL!!!! Hang in there everyone else! You can do it!!!!

Ok, this is my 1st MC and this is Day 10. Peanut...I SO UNDERSTAND! (LOL) I had no problem with hunger however I am going through some serious food lust right now (lol). I don't think I can take it anymore. I am going to attempt to shoot for 12 days then I am done!

Someone wrote previously about experiencing pain in their legs whille on the MC. I experienced the same pain which frightened me during the 3, 4 and 5th days. I was having some pain in my joints which I totally had forgotten until the cleanse. The pain is totally gone, I can see the structure of my knees again--apparently the cleanse detoxed my joints. My legs feel fantastic! I didn't expect it however I have lost 10 pounds (I walk a great deal)! Finally, I am feeling energized, clear, awaking in the morning before the alarm clock and actually liking the SWF.

My original goal was to detox. I was not sure what this would entail however I feel for a 1st timer-the body did well. I wanted to experience the clarity and energy which I am enjoying now. I felt when I transitioned to the vegan lifestyle that I had so much bad gook in me that I wanted to eliminate and detox so that I could truly receive the benefits of being a raw food/vegan. My tongue is slowly returning back to it's original color...as I write I think I am going to hang on for at least 2 days then its on to the oranges for me...I want vege lasagna!

Hang in there everyone! You HAVE to follow the routine to experience the benefits, get lots of rest and like Peanut said listen to your body! It is SO worth it!

See you tomorrow.

[haelee]

hi all,

i feel for those of you starting out/at day 2, 3, and 4 and would like to offer words of encouragement (DON'T quit, each day gets better, it really does, and i too felt really depressed on days 2 and 3 and part of 4, but better and better every day since then), and enjoy reading the posts of those of you who have finished up. i prematurely bought some things (seasonings) at the market for when i break the fast. but, it was fun to find a bunch of yummy-sounding soup recipes on the 'net and buy the spices for them. on day 10 i'm going to buy the actual veggies and fruit and stuff for next week.

today i had crazy energy and cleaned my entire house from top to bottom in about 6 hours. i also telecommuted to work and actually got some office work done, too. i hope i lose some of the buzz soon, i'm ready for bed!

others have mentioned what this BB has meant to them while doing the cleanse...i can honestly say that i would not have finished (well, almost finished, still 2 days to go) if it weren't for this board. seriously. thank you all very much for your encouragement, candid posts, caring words, and comisery intermingled with the giddy good feeling that comes with doing this. i wish i could say that i was really "in" my body during this cleanse, but i wasn't. i ignored it completely. HOWEVER, i am very excited about the change i've gone through and what the future holds. i've never been much of a cook, just never enjoyed prepping food for myself, but all that is going to change...spending the past 8 days making all of my nourishment for myself, by myself, has kind of gotten me in touch with the joy of prepping food for myself, and feeding myself good-for-me things. if that makes any sense. ?? ;o)

g'night all!

[peanutterb]

Good morning everyone!

Remind me who else is breaking at the same time as me? I need a buddy!

I woke up and drank a quart of water while doing my devotions since I was so used to the SWF lol.
Going to make juice and run some errands in a minute. Just wanted to stop in and say hi and stay motivated to everyone.
Breaking the fast is making me kind of uneasy. I'm losing that high and focus I had while on the cleanse. I miss the stability of the lemonade. Everything feels kinda chaotic. Especially because soon I actually have to think about what I'm going to eat... I donno, I just feel weird.

Today is going to be really cold in Atlanta. Cold makes me miserable. Then first thing this morning my sister told me not to lose any more weight. LOL I don't know how to take that. Especially since I didn't really think I lost weight.

I just need a little support today. Work will probably stress me out. And I won't be in the mood for it and may or may not have to cuss someone or threaten to quit as I do every other week lol. So please pray for me and if you don't believe in prayer send up some smoke signals or whatever it is you do.

I'm going to go cut my hair today too. Very short. Liberatingly short. I've been thinking about it for 3 years now and finally have the courage. I think this is a great way to end my fast and my month of spring cleaning. I worked alot of my vices out of my system, I built strength and discipline in all areas of life and I feel so good and FREE!

Keep squeezing and keep smiling friends.
Check back in when I get off work late late late tonight.

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

Hey Peanut...I'll be breaking after you, but I will be reading how your progress goes.

[Honeysuckle1]

Hi Everyone!

How are you doing today? Like the dutiful Lemonhead, I had my tea last night and the SWF this morning only to realize that this is actually Day 12 for me. I haven't been looking at my calendar which I started with my marked days, symptoms, benefits, etc. after wanted to quit at Day 5. Therefore, I am ending my fast today and have started with the fresh orange today.

I agree with you Peanutterb and Crazed_P. I feel a bit uneasy about breaking it therefore I am taking a small period of time to make a plan. I thought I would start a new thread for breaking the fast because of how uneasy I feel about it; please join me!

I will so miss the support of this thread and website! I feel so fortune to have found it during my most difficult periods of the fast and will continue to check in until my next MC. There is absolutely NO way I could have completed it without the support, moans, inspiration! You guys ROCK! Still feeling energic, clear and WONDERFUL!!! Thank you for supporting me and just being a shoulder to cry on when needed!

For everyone else, hang in there and PLEASE follow the routine that is where you experience the best benefits and a great cleanse! I know it is difficult but you can do it, you are doing it!!! Hang in there! It will definitely pass!

Healing and cleansing HUGS!

Honey

[monkeymomma]

yes, I AM still lurking about...

I am on day 7...still my yuckiest day...
but I am at least prepared for it. Things
are going well...as always.

It's great to see all of you guys making it through
and checking in and finding support here. I too have to
say that the BB is one of my saving graces.

I am eyeing a 14 day mark this time...but...
who knows...I may go longer.

again...I'll still be around...and I'll still answer mail.
:D

[Yellowgirl]

Just finishing Day 3 and not feeling too bad. Had a headache earlier but it's gone now.

I've been reading these posts and laughing about the reaction of co-workers. On Day 1 I brought the lemonade in with me and several co-workers wanted a taste, so we got a bunch of paper cups and I let everyone have some, but one guy said, "Hey, be careful, let's not take too much because that's all she has to eat!" LOL.

However, EVERYONE thought it tasted great and said, "I think I could do this cleanse!" Of course, they haven't tasted the SWF ;)

[Res]

Helloooo Lemonheads!

I wanted to pop in and see how everyone is doing and it looks like you're going STRONG! ;D

Keep Going! You can do this! ;D

Love,
~Res

[peanutterb]

Hey all,

So I went 14 whole days without eating. Isn't that amazing?? Had you asked me about this months ago I would've laughed in your face. I thought I HAD to eat. Or I'd feel weak and nauseous and shaky and all that jazz. But the lemonade was fantastic. And I won't lie, I miss it. I miss my warm, spicy lemonade and I actually miss my morning bathroom runs.

Yesterday I ate my first bit of solid food. It wasn't as great as I thought it would be. I only did it because I was at work and scared I'd pass out behind my bar. I couldn't get to my broth so i got a chef friend to bring me a cup of fruit (melons) and I had those to sustain me. The orange juice is really tough for me. Actually I did grapefruit which was awful. But they didn't have any organic oranges so I had 64oz of watered down grapefruit juice and the more I drank the hungrier I got. It was crazy. People at work were worried about me. I don't know how I looked but if I looked half as bad as I really felt I would've been worried too.
When I finally got a break and had my broth, dear heavenly father, it was bliss. It was so warm and thick and comforting. Like my mummy (can you tell I miss her?) I felt so much better and had all kinds of energy and strength.
Today, no juice for me. It's the devil. I'll have some lemonade instead. and fruit, salad and soup later.
I brought a whole heap of fruits and such to keep eating fruits and veggies for the next couple of days and slowly reintroduce breads and rices later on. It's going to be tough explaining my new eating habits to my family back home, they already gave me a hard time about not eating meat when I was younger.

Anyway my friends, the journey is not over. I'll post on the breaking fast thread honeysuckle was so wise to create and i'll try to post once or twice while i'm on holiday. I'm keeping you all in my prayers and I look forward to your tranformations.
Congratulations in advance.

[ballyhoo]

Hello everyone.
My name is is Michele and I'm a first time MC'er. Today is my seventh day.

I started because I felt terrible, was overweight, intolerant to wheat (yet still ate it) and had been diagnosed with depression a month ago. The prescription for the tabs is still sitting in my cupboard. I decided my depression was more to do with lifestyle and diet, so attempted the Blood Group diet for a month to see whether my symptoms would disappear. On the whole they did, but on the BG forum I found a link to MC.

Would I be able to do a fast? I had never done one before. No willpower and just much easier to eat "crap". I aimed for three days, and here I am on Day 7. I am now aiming for ten days, but secretly thinking further ahead.

Why? Because I have never had such discipline in my life! Because weight loss will be great - I am aiming for a raw food diet after I come off the MC. Because no one will ever believe I have followed through with this!

I am concerned about a few things:
1. No major bowel movements at all. Thought that there would be loads to flush out as I had been eating bread the week before and was therefore constipated.
2. Still major cravings - - - - for anything wheat related! Shows you bad my intolerance must be.
3. I seem to be lagging behind in what everyone else reports.
4. SWF yuk - this morning I threw up after gagging on my toothpaste.
5. Extremely tired. And this is day 7!
6. Are the toxins roaming around in my body as I haven't been eliminating?

I am still presevering because I am proving to myself I can! A very good booster for my own abilities.

My symptoms at the moment are:
bloated after SWF
oily skin
limp hair
1 BM a day - watery - no solids since I started
no effect after Senna tea
tired
after SWF this morning, incredible sweating and shakes
white tongue
irritability

And yes, you can tell from this rambling post, that I am also emotionally detoxing. Mostly irritability, some sadness, tenseness.

But thank you all for making this such a briliant website. It is really what gets me going through the day.

I apologise for my ramblings. A release I think! Smiley

[Yellowgirl]

Hey ballyhoo,

I am just finishing up Day 4! According to Peter's book, Days 2,3, and 7 are the worst days, so you're on schedule. Day 14 will not be so great, either, if you go that far (7 day cycle).

This morning was the second day that the SWF did not exit as expected. Tomorrow I will try some of the exercises mentioned on this board to see if I can move it out quickly, as I have to work tomorrow! I don't feel bloated because I have been peeing a lot but I want the SWF to do just that - FLUSH!!! :) I did increase the salt this morning as suggested and may increase it slightly again tomorrow morning, so between that and the exercises, we shall see!

My eczema was acting up before I started the cleanse and is no better yet, but my sense of smell has improved, but not in a good way, because I can smell my cats' litter boxes all over the house, and I don't usually! :P

However, I grilled some pork chops for my husband and they smelled amazing!

On to Day 5! Later, everyone! :-*

[mrsmezen]

Hi all. Well, unfortunately like the two times before, I cracked. I was only able to make it 3 days!!! Ugggggg. I don't understand why I can't just find the will power to make it more than three days. I wasn't hungry but there was this little voice in the back of my mind that kept saying that I was so over this whole not eating thing and that three days was enough, even though it wasn't and I feel like a total failure.
Now that I have been eating food for three days, I miss the lemonade when before I couldn't stand it. Wierd. I miss the feeling of NOT being bloted and NOT feeling fat. I wanted to thanks you all for your support and for answering all of my questions. I am hooking up with a personal trainer at my gym, so for a few months I will be consumed with the trainer diet and my strict workouts but when I have reached my goal weight in a few months I will try the MC again. I have a good friend that introduced me to the MC that will be doing it this summer and I think that we will do it together, that way it will be a little easier for me, having motivation and someone that can help me when I am about to crack an give up. Anyway, enough with rambling. Thanks again everyone for all of your help and support.
Dayna

[SIGURDSSON]

4:35am. the tea woke me up. Oh well.
I feel good though. into the early morning of day 2. I made it. the first day is tremendously hard for me. I've had a few half day, almost full day fasts.....
I'm trying to go at least 10 days this time.
I've had, I believe, 3 5day fasts. Maybe 4? anyway, they were great. I saw some great benefits. I'm hoping that a longer one will really kick some stuff out.
I've had left arm and shoulder pain for years. last night I started getting really achy in that area and my chest, too. it didn't last too long. seems like my body is moving through the aches and pains well.
I wish I was asleep though. I have to be up early to take my child to school. I guess I could do the SWF now and hope it's done before we go.
I love this board. It really helps to read everyone's posts.
I'm hoping this MC will help me have a deeper detox and rid me of some of the body pain and balance my system and help clear my brain. I'm not sure what exactly I eat that makes me feel like ****, but I hope I can discover what it is this time when I come off the MC. I;m hoping to take the reintroduction to food slowly and see how I react to each thing.
ok. good luck to you.

[amylneal]

Day 8 here. Still trucking' Thanks to everyone for your continued support.

Last night my mom sent over lasagna for my family. while serving some to my son, i just stood over it and inhaled....over and over again. It smelled sooooo good.

Ballyhoo-hang in there. you really begin to detox from 6-8 so you're definitely feelin' it. Also, try adding more or less salt to your SW mixture if you're not getting results. Also, after the initial first day, BM are not generally going to be "much," as in the usual BM to which you are accustomed on a "normal" diet.

mrsmezen-don't be so hard on yourself. if it didn't happen this time, it wasn't meant to happen. you'll make it when the time is right.

With Love and Light (and Lemons!)
Amy

[haelee]

hi all,
yesterday was day 10 for me, and today i'm feeling so great. i had fresh squeezed organic grapefruit juice for breakfast and squeezed a bunch of organic oranges for juice throughout the day here at work.

now that i'm finished with the fast, i feel euphoric, proud, clean, happy that my clothes aren't as tight (lost 7 pounds), and excited about my new eating habbits. they weren't that bad before all of this (vegetarian for the past 19 years, the last 3 vegan), but now that i'm pretty detoxed (but not completely, i know...i plan on doing a cleanse at least twice a year), i know that i can eat a lot better for myself. going to stick with 50/50 raw diet for now, and increase that to 75% raw by june (want to give myself a couple of months to transition into it).

as the consumate late-night grazer and boredom-eater, take it from me, first timers, it is well worth the discomfort, self-doubt, bouts of depression, sometimes-misery, weird dreams, runs to the bathroom, odd looks/comments from co-workers, and overall strangeness of not eating for 10 days. well, well worth it. hang in there, read as many of the different topics on this BB as you can (this particular thread really, really helped me on my rough days), find a sympathetic and supportive friend to help you through the rough times, and stick with it.

i'm going over to the breaking the fast topic now...best of luck and a humongous thank you to all of you...if it weren't for you, i wouldn't have been able to do this.

lots of love and lemonade to all!

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

I've made it 9...yes folks NINE days....had you told me I'd make it to the 10 days, back on day 2 I would have told you that you were out of your mind.

But here I am. After a long afternoon in a very cold theatre (way backstage is either freezing or roasting, don't ask me) I decided to try the lemon drink warm. What a lovely change. Peanutter is right, it's like spicey tea. :) However, I was out of maple syrup, so I used organic unsulphered molasses...it changes the taste, albeit not significantly...but the other reaction came later in the middle of the night when I was awakened by that certain sensation. Almost trampled the poor dog on the way to the loo. LOL. It went on for about 3 hours, off and on, with me catching some Z's in between.

Now I'm feeling all at once eager and apprehensive to break the fast. My birthday is at the end of the week and I'd dearly like to take myself out for a sashimi dinner after my show on Friday. But, like others, I miss the sensation of feeling so....pure.

[SIGURDSSON]

gurr. having trouble. I feel ok, I just want to eat. I'm trying not to obsess on it, change the topic.....think of something else....write here, read others posts and be inspired.
you didn't think you would have made it to day nine. that's inspiration. b/c you did. I hope I can, too. I really want to do this.
I'm sitting here trying to remember my reasons and to sit with them and feel strong again.
I know, I'll take a bath. distraction.
I would go do something, but I'm actually really tired today. I just got home from a 40 minute walk, picking up my child from school and then to laundry mat, did laundry and now home. so, I feel like resting but all I'm doing is obsessing.
bath is the perfect solution.

[peanutterb]

Hey everyone, just wanted to stop by and say Keep doing what you're doing! You are on the road to better health and whatever is going on that feels bad right now, just remember that Tomorrow will be better and THIS TOO SHALL PASS!

I'm back to eating regular food (mostly fruits, veggies (soup) and nuts)
I feel fantastic and no one believes I did this. it's interesting that now I'm finding out they all expected me to fail. lol.
But I didn't. I'm frigging amazing.
and you are too.

Keep squeezing!

[Crazed_Pomeranian]

I'm sitting here trying to remember my reasons and to sit with them and feel strong again.

Going over it, I think I had the right mindset. I read the boards and the book and gleaned as much information as I could before I started.

Whenever temptation arose, and it did frequently. I'd keep reminding myself, and still do, that eating and breaking the cleanse too soon would defeat the entire purpose.

Oh and loosing the 10+ lbs. (even if it's mostly water weight) is pretty cool.

[sweetcornprincess]

You know what, I have found that baths and hot steamy showers feel especially good too. Kinda funny, but that's what I use every evening as well.

I am on Day 3 - well, it kinda feels like it's been longer as I began fasting before starting the senna tea...feels more like day 4 as I ate my last meal on Thursday.

I've had a lot of joint pain today. Feel great now, but it's been a rocky up and down day.

[Yellowgirl]

oooh, a bath sounds like a nice idea! This is my Day 5 and I am very tired today. Didn't get much sleep...finally drifted off around 12:30am and then the tea woke me up at 2:30am and the up again at 5:45 to do the SWF.

And my tongue feels like I have a sock on it. And not just any sock - a thick, hairy sock with fringe on it! :P

I'm tired, grumpy, sick of the lemonade but...other than that I feel GREAT :) :) :)

My first 4 days were pretty good, so I guess I was due. So, I'm going into the kitchen now to whip up a nice cup of hot lemonade (it's great hot but be careful with the cayenne - the heat intensifies it) :o

But tomorrow will be Day 6 for me - whoo hoo!! ;D

[morrigahn69]

Hi YellowGirl!
I was wondering what happened to my other sock!! You crack me up:) I'm sorry you had off day, but girlfriend you are more than halfway there!!! A thunderous round of applause for the lady!!! You know I think I'll try my lemonade warm tonight, that sounds really good because I'm freezing! Maybe you should try the cayenne pepper shot on the side. That's what I've been doing, that way I can enjoy my lemonade and sip it slowly if I want to and not worry about it getting too hot. Just a freindly caution, if you do the cayenne shot on the side USE COLD WATER! I made the mistake of trying a shot with warm water... holy crap that was hot!! I swear I could feel it burning in my ears! My eyes were watering, my nose was running, it burned like hell but son was cracking up. Anyway, just remember that mantra... strong like a bull and this too shall pass!! We're here for you. I'll keep you in my thoughts as always:)

[lemonnewbie]

:) Hi everyone! I finally started my MC!!! I have been anxiously awaiting this day and it is finally here!

Last night I had a cup of the smooth move tea and then this morning I attempted the salt water flush. I took some of this BB poster suggestions, drinking the SWF warm and using a straw to drink it but it just wouldn't go down :/ Someone had described the taste of the salt water flush as tasting like chicken soup without any chicken and veggies. They were SO right! I was only able to get down about 4 oz so I had another cup of smooth move tea. I prepared my lemonade this morning but I went a little overboard on the maple syrup and cayanne pepper :/ This is my first time on the MC, on any cleanse/detox for that matter so this is all so new to me. I need to get me proper measuring spoons so I get the right measurements for my lemonade tomorrow. So far things are good. I have had plenty of "movement" this morning. I do feel a bit hungry but I have been drinking the lemonade. I also feel a bit light headed but I don't know what that is a result of. I am sure I will be fine. Tomorrow I am going to attempt the SWF because I know it is key in this cleanse.

I will definitely be on this board more frequently because the inspiration and motivation is so strong.

Good luck to you all!

[Guest]

Hi,

I'm on Day 8 of my third Master Cleanse in the last year. The first two were great and I had tons of energy and while there were some detox symptons I still felt good. This time around has been a whole different story. I was fine until Day 5 when I woke up with terrible headache and since then I've been overcome with detox symptons - headache, body aches, naseau, dizziness, tiredness, and the list goes on......I'm taking a day off work and cut way down on my normal exercise schedule. I'm eliminating really well and as always, following the cleanse "by the book". The only difference this time around is that I'm taking a really low dose (10mg/daily) antidepressant. I'm wondering if that's what creating all the toxicity. I would like to come off it, but my doctor said that's not a good idea right now.

Has anyone else noticed that detox symptons get worse with progressive cleanses? Also, is there a point when one should stop a cleanse if these symptons are so overwhelming?

[serendipity]

Hi all. I'm on day 3 of my second cleanse. I'm a long-time lurker (read "shy"), and this is my first post. This is a tough day. To get myself through, I wrote a little poem to self-motivate. I remembered how good I felt after my first cleanse (two months ago), and putting it on paper really helped me forget about my cravings, sore legs, and general bad attitude. It's all willpower, which I thought before I didn't have scrap of. I feel better having written it down - hope this helps you too!

THE CLEANSE
Years of eating whatever was around
Turning the food chart upside-down
Pizza, French fries, ice cream & cake
And all those juicy tenderloin steaks
Fat and carbs packed on the pounds
And my exercise consisted of sitting around

I’d become a toxic bomb
But I knew the time has come
Time to change, it’s not too late
If I didn’t I’d detonate
I saw myself through a different lens
And boy, I needed a Master Cleanse!

To the health food store I went
It didn’t matter what I spent
No price to high to pay for health
A detoxed body would be my wealth
Lemons, water, cayenne and tea
Some Grade B syrup for energy

Doubts crept in about day two
I felt like I came down with the flu
I ached, I slept, and oh the chills
Trips to the kitchen for more refills
And as I sat through another BM
I dreamed of Snickers and M&M’s

I saw some changes come day three
I woke with so much energy
Day four flew by, then it was five
Amazed that I was still alive!
The hardest part of all was braving
The urges to give in to craving
And now day ten, I must admit
I look and feel so much more fit!

My pants are loose, the cravings gone
I debate whether I should go on
For now I’ll stop, eat healthy and then
In a month or so begin again
Now I know I had willpower
Taking it day by day, hour by hour

I’m proud of myself, as I should be
And all this because of lemons and tea
I’ll tell the world! Well, tell my friends
I owe my health to the Master Cleanse!

-----------------------------

I don't feel so bad now remembering the GOOD!

GOOD LUCK ALL!

[amylneal]

Hang in there mauiyoga! It's just detox symptoms. You may be going a little deeper this time, b/c it's the third cleanse, and not the first. You peel off in layers (think about your yoga).

I did my first MC while coming off of an antidepressant-I felt so crazy that I knew I had to do something to wipe it out of my system (it was paxil go figure).

I'm on a low dose of another (plan to end that this year-there was a time that I needed it) still but doesn't seem to affect my cleanses. This is also my 3rd in the last year and I'm on day 9. Hang in there! You're almost done!

With Love and Light (and lemons!)
Amy

[SIGURDSSON]

half way through with day 3.
it's been so hard. I thought b/c I had done it before that it would be easier this time.
but I'm hanging in there. it's a quarter til 3. this part of the day is the hardest. that's why I'm checking in here: reading posts, writing posts.....watching Pretty in Pink on cable rather than doing my work. I'm so distracted.
however, I'm proud of myself for making it even this long. I want to do the 10 days. so much. but there's been this other voice trying to talk me out of it.
or I should say lots of voices talking me out of it (no I'm not crazy)

[lemonnewbie]

Well it is 3:15pm EST and I had to check in for some motivation and support.

Thanks Serendipity for sharing your poem! Even tho today is my first day I am already wondering why I am doing this and can I really do this. Your poem helped me remember why I am doing this cleanse in the first place...to be healthy and start fresh! So thank you!

SIGURDSSON: Even tho I am not hungry I have those same darn voices calling my name and tempting me so badly. But I will not give in!!! I have to be stronger then this.

We can get through this guys! Just hand in there and keep sipping away ;)

[serendipity]

Lemonnewbie: I wish you the best! You'll do great, just stick to it!

Sigurdsson: I've had the voices too, we all have, but you have to take it an hour at a time during the rough times. I know I made up every excuse in the book to justify quiting during those times:

My voices sound like this:

"This is just a trial run, to see how I do. I'll really start tomorrow." - No better time like the present, if you procrastinate it'll never happen.

"Maybe I can just do 2 days on and 2 days off" - It takes days to start reaping benefits.

"What can be wrong with drinking some broth?? It's clear liquid isn't it?" - Yes, and it also will get the digestion moving again, as well as prolong cravings. (trust me - I tried it!)

"One piece of chocolate will satisfy that craving and then I'll be set." -don't feed the craving, you'll just have more!

"I feel like I'm sick, I'd better quit and get better." - You're detoxing, it'll pass and you'll feel great

I've found the best thing to do when I hear those voices is fix myself a lemonade or tea, and come on this message board and read the posts. The folks here have been incredible support for me - even as I just lurked. It's good to know that you're not alone, others have gone through it and come out smelling like a rose. Literally!

As I said in my other post, today (day 3 of my second) was hard for me. Cravings, sore legs, tired, cranky - a pure pleasure to be around...but it passed. It always does!

Hang in there!!

[ballyhoo]

Hello all

Day 8 and the most major cramps last night. Haven't had them so badly before. Lay awake thinking "what the hell am I doing? This is just rubbish." And generally trying to find all the negative points about the MC.

Woke up with a slight headache and thought "Aha - this is the delayed 7th day symptoms", but no, the headache has gone.

I must admit that getting on the scales (yes, yes, I shouldn't be!) and finding I'd lost another 2 pounds has got me raring to go for the day.

Dreading tonight when we are getting together with a group of friends for a bbq. Not so much the eating, but avoiding all the questions.

Aim to do this until Sunday, but am now thinking that Easter is in two weeks and if I am still on the MC then I can't have chocolate!!
Talk about avoidance. :)

Good luck to all of you. It must be worth it or so many people wouldn't be doing it.

Sigurdsson, how are you feeling? I'm not shouting at the kids so much and taking things more in my stride - only happened the last two days. Perhaps just for this benefit alone, I should stay on the MC until the kids are 18!!!!!!!!

[christopher_speer]

Hi. I am new to this board and mostly new to fasting. I attempted the Master Cleanse almost exactly a year ago. About two days into it, the psychological pressure was too much for me and I caved, ate, and ended the fast. It is now a new year, a new me, and fresh opportunity to do this thing and do it right! I am going to post my progress daily on here for 1)my own amusement, and 2)as a sort of bootleg accountability system. If temptation arises, I'll just remember that others in this online community are sharing this journey with me... and I'll be damned if I let ya'll down!
So, why did last year's fast fail so quickly?
1) I think I made the lemonade too strong. I couldn't stand the taste.
2) I put myself in temptation's way (college food vendors, they'll get you everytime).
3) I didn't plan any non-food activities to participate in instead of eating.

This year, I am much more mentally and physically prepared for this, and I want to do this more than ever. Not just for the health benefits, but also for the experience of testing my body, soul, mind, being and seeing what gets stirred up (besides 28 years worth of toxic waste).

Well, feel free to comment, encourage, or teach me in any way, or ask any questions you may have.

[christopher_speer]

Well, I'm two days away from starting the actual fast. I've been trying to slowly prepare myself by eating raw fruits and vegetables and cutting out alcohol, caffeine, sugar, meat, etc. I must admit I already feel the pressure of the fast and I haven't even started yet. This morning I was in the cafeteria where I work (it was mandatory for me to be there, as I was supervising the children under my care), and they had my favorite "morning" potatoes and scrambled eggs. I was trying to resist, but I failed that test. My reasoning was that the fast didn't start yet and I should eat now while I can. Silly me! If I can't resist simple things like school cafeteria potatoes and scrambled eggs, how am I going to do with pizza and whatever my wife will be eating during the fast?
I think I'm addicted to food.

[_cocotaso]

im a first timer &i have finally made it to day 4. i'm so glad i found this site because i've been freezing for the last couple of nights &was thinking maybe the mc had uncovered anemia or something? idk im slow &the book didnt mention this particular symptom...but im glad that this is just a part of the process.
i guess that i am experiencing the other detox symptoms but to be honest i want to see the vile things i kept hearing about. like the passing of mucus, tongue coating, excess ear wax...something. some sort of sign this suffering isnt in vain.

other than that the fast hasnt been so bad. the lemonade is good. my father has been eating in his room so he doesnt add to my suffering. &i havent been hungry...at all. i just want to chew the hell out of something. like the plantains i made before my fast that are still in the fridge laughing at me...but i would take a grape at this point. it's cool putting my eating in to perspective. i dont have to eat nearly as much as i thought i did to sustain myself.

thanks for being an inspiration you guys!

...only 6 more days.

[Yellowgirl]

Christopher,

How much potatoes and scrambled eggs did you eat! Yummy! I am jealous - LOL!

Hey, if you haven't started the fast yet, then you're free to eat. It sounds to me like you're doing everything right.

Cocotaso, not to worry - the coated tongue will come. Yesterday I felt like I had a big, hairy sock on my tongue! :P

BTW, I am on Day 6 and doing great. Although I am around food and have a keener sense of smell due to the cleanse, I really am not hungry. It's amazing. :o

I just focus on the good this cleanse is doing me and how this is totally my choice. I don't HAVE to do this - I WANT to do this - and I CAN do this! ;D

And so can YOU!!! 8)

[Yellowgirl]

I am in such a good mood today!! Day 6 has been a good day!

For those of you who need cheering, click on or paste this link and turn the volume way up. It's a recording of a guy on a cell phone who witnessed a car accident that ended up being very comical.

If the sound of this guy laughing doesn't make you laugh, nothing will!!

http://www.chumfm.com/MorningShow/bits/march24.swf

[SIGURDSSON]

yellow girl, that cracked me up. it hurt my face.

Ballyhoo, I know what you mean, I'm actually feeling really good with the little one. he's 4! and is amazing but can be quite challenging. while I'm on my period, it's hard and I find my patience is low.....but on the fast I've felt much more patient and just calm. I've noticed the TV is off! which makes me happy b/c somehow that damn thing crept up in our lives when we didn't even watch TV until this year really.

there's a bit more mental clarity. I passed on pizza tonight and am proud of myself for that. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed by 10 days! yikes! but I just keep telling myelf "one day at a time" just like the AAers. and it works. because I don't have to worry about day 7 now. today is day 3 and I've made it through.

oops,,,just realised while I've rambled on here, that my tea has been steeping for tooooo long. can't have that. crampy pain waking up in the night.....no.
hmm....pour it out and make new or pour half out and put some water?
that is the debate for the evening.

[SIGURDSSON]

day 4 is that you? yes it is!
I'm not s ure if the SWF is working this morning. it was kinda cold and I usually drink it warm and have no problems but it hasn't kicked in yet and it usually has by now. eeks.
I hope it works soon. I have a busy day.
lost only half a pound today. I know that's ok but I love looking at the scale and seeing a difference. it helps the motivation. but more thick sludge this morning and I didn't expect that after 4 days. Obvioulsy, I have lots more cleansing to do. which does motivate me for the 10 days.

[amylneal]

Morning all. Day 10 here. Ready for my OJ tomorrow and then looking forward to eating from there. Thanks to all for your stories, support & motivation.

Very best, Amy

[Hilary]

Good morning all.

I am on day 10 of my cleanse. This is my first time doing one and I am extremely pleased with how it is going. I am aiming to go 40 days, so I consider today 25% of my journey.

I have been going to my physiotherapist for acupuncture as I have severe arthritis in my lower spine. In the last 10 days my back has improved so drastically that my physiotherapist says I can slowly start running again. (I have been out since i ran the marathon last August). Not only is my back better, but I have gone from Waist: 37" to 32", Breasts: 40" to 38", Butt: 43" to 41" and I lost 10 lbs from 160 lbs to 150 lbs. My skin is like porcelain and my energy levels are through the roof.

I write this, because I know how much this forum helps me throughout the day. Although I have only published a few times in the first few days, I read and reread your comments and they are educational, inspirational and theraputic. I would have given up if I hadn't had this forum I'm certain of that.

Just wanted to share how great I feel, and thank you all for your comments. Hopefully mine will help someone else! Talk to you all, over the next 30 days!

Hilary

[lemonnewbie]

:) Hi everyone! Well it is Day 2 for me and I must say I am quite shocked that I have made it this far, lol! I didn't think I would be able to get passed day 1 but I have and I am still going on strong. I must admit that even tho I am not hungry I do miss food. I woke up this morning missing my morning breakfast routine. I am taking this whole process day by day because I know the end result with be amazing. I have an obsession with food. I can eat healthy for a good amount of time but then I get side tracked and I overeat and overeat and splurge like a madwoman. I want to get over my obsession with food and just think and live a healthy life.

Here is to a healthy life! To all of you on this journey my thoughts are with you. Good luck to you all and stay strong!

[Butch_Honeywell]

Hello All,

Just letting myself be known a bit. This is Day 1. Very excited. Though I have some experience with juice fasting, I'm looking forward to this approach. I appreciate all the prior comments I've read and intend to contribute my 2-cents to the fabric of the support network.

Did the SWF this morning. What a trip.

That's it for now. More as more develops.

Take Care,
Kohl

[sweetcornprincess]

Way to go Kohl!

I didn't do the SWF the first couple days - used the tea instead. I am so glad I finally tried it. I was feeling I needed it and was right.

Way to go lemonnewbie too.

Cheers.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I am on Day 5. Doing well but experiencing periodic joint pain since yesterday.

[springysue]

Hey out there. I am on day 8 and hanging in there. Yesterday was hard! They had pizza at work and I was so tired. But, I think it was the detox making me feel bad. I told myself I would stop today if I didn't feel better but, after 9 hours of sleep I am fine again and going to go the 10 days. I do have a question. I have only lost 5-6 lbs! I am happy with the detoxing and know that is the big reason for doind the cleanse- but I was hoping on losing more (what's with that 2 lbs/ day rumor?). And, I should say- I weigh 175 and am 5'6''- definately overweight. I have been drinking about 4 glasses/ day (8 tbs of syrup), which is only 800 calories. Is my metabolism simply super efficient? I have been excercising and going to work (I teach kindergarteners in after school).
So, what do you all think? Should I go longer- or go off at day 10 and do the raw foods and lots of excercise? I am trying to get down another 25 lbs by mid- June for my wedding. I am afraid that my already sluggish metabolism is preparing for a famine...
Thanks

[SIGURDSSON]

I'm having a terrible day. I want to cry. I hated therapy. I'm tired. my joints, especially my knee, are killing me.
I have something in my urine, some kind of white stuff. hope that's ok. Ketosis?
I'm basically at my witts end.
frustrated and want to quit.
I licked a banana.
if other things weren't stressing me out it wouldn't be so bad.
my jaw hurts.
blah blah.
sorry for complaining. I wish I could purge this negativity.

[amylneal]

SIGURDSSON-poor thing. Hang in there. You're detoxing and you can make it through.

[SIGURDSSON]

thanks. I'm trying. still on MC. so , that's good. just fed my son dinner and salvated.
I feel hungry. I just drank a lemonade and a glass of water. headache and hunger pains.
I'm just trying to get through the night. I feel stronger in the first part of the day.

[ballyhoo]

Wow - day 9 today and I attempted the SWF for the third time. Eureka!!! I had a result. I just cannot believe it. I upped the salt to three teaspoons, but I had to stop drinking through as straw as that was causing the nausea.
The downside to this is that I now have the wonderful SWF to face every morning.

Sigurdsson - I love the banana story, although I cannot imagine that there must be much taste in that! Hang in there. It WILL get better (trying to convince both of us here!!)

Hilary - I envy you. WE are at the same milestone and my face has just started to break out. Every morning there is a new spot. Sigh. I know it's for the good though.

I got through the bbq last night with absolutely no problem at all. Had to tell two people, one of which has gone off to look up the info on this website as she is interested in starting it. So much for thinking I'd have such a negative response!!

My monthlies started this morning (sorry, guys) and I have really horrid cramps, which I don't usually have. These are definitely monthly related ones, as opposed to laxative tea ones.

I had planned a 10 day cleanse, which would be ending tomorrow, but I think I will carry on. The only thing is I like to have a goal date to get to and can't figure out whether to aim for another seven days or whether there is some other milestone I should aim for.

[christopher_speer]

Today... March 29th... 2006... Day Negative One
Tomorrow at this time (1:16pm) will not be lunch time for me, as it is today and has been for the last 28 years. Am I ready for this? Am I ready to test my reality and conquer my supposed addiction to (junk) food?
Last night came my biggest temptation so far. I'm supposed to be eating only raw fruits and veggies for these days leading up to the fast. I did well at lunch time, had a spinach salad with carrots and celery sticks. But I hadn't eaten since then until 10pm. At that point I was starvin' like marvin and ran to the fridge for some frozen pizza. I unwrapped it, put it on a plate, shoved it in the microwave, and pushed 3 minutes. Luckily for me, my loving wife, Adia came to my rescue, as I was clearly OUT OF MY MIND. Adia grabbed me, threw me out of the way, pushed stop on the microwave oven, then grabbed me by the face and said, "Babe, don't do this. I'm not going to let you do this. You need to resist now." We then physically wrestled each other for the next five minutes. She finally won the battle after she offered to make me, by hand, right then... a fresh fruit salad. I gave up, walked away disappointed, but oh so grateful to her for doing what she did. Without her, where would I be?
Thank you, Adia for helping me get through that. I will UNDOUBTABLY need your help starting tomorrow and for the next 10-15 days. Thanks for being strong when I wasn't. You're awesome, man ;o)

[Guest]

Hello all. i want to start by saying that everyone on this bulletin board has been such a help to me thus far. I thank you all.
okay...
Im a newbie and on the 3rd day of my first MC. So far so good. hunger pangs subsided as did the headaches, Tongue is coated; The Lax tea and the SWF works perfectly; Bming 3 times a day. I feel great!!

Im cleansing to detox;I drink and had been smoking for years. Watched what I ate, to an extent and took all natural herbal viatmins and supplements out the wazzoo.

My concern is when I come off of it how is eating raw going to effect my lifestyle. Im a 30yr old guy, good shape, have worked out (lifting and cardio) regulary for years and ate alot to appease my body type. Can I have my protein powders and eat like, sushi?? organic chicken occasionally? things like that

wow I babbled...1st time poster
thanks
-T

[SIGURDSSON]

I'm at the end of day 4.
Barely made it today. smelled food. I mean, had my nose right in it, huffing, if you will.
every fast I've done, day 4 was pretty much the last day. day 5 I do the SWF and start in with the Oj, by the end of the day I have a banana and the next day I've resumed regular eating. yeah, I know that's not the way it's supposed to be done. but I come completely undone on day 4 every time.
what gives?
I read all of these fantastic posts, very inspiring, and I can't seem to get through.
I love food, but....I don't think I have a massive problem with it. I'm vegetarian. I generally eat healthy, organic, and usually lightly. like most people, from time to time I indulge. I'm maybe a few pounds overweight, mostly from the need to work out regularly. but 10 days!!!!! GOD! man.
who knows. maybe tomorrow I'll feel renewed. for now I'm here. I'll see what tomorrow brings.

[ballyhoo]

Hi Sigurdsson

Try not to beat youreslf up about it. If you end on Day 4, accept that you've had 4 days of an MC! Perhaps you aren't meant to go past Day 4. It sounds like you're pretty healthy, and whatever steps you are making, no matter how small or big, are all positive.

Credit to you for doing this at all. Many wouldn't.

Thoughts and love.

[Guest]

Hello my friends,

So.

Sweet Corn Princess- Thank you for the words of encouragement. Right back at you.

Sigurdsson- Bummer for having a tough day yesterday. I appreciate how Ballyhoo wrote about acceptance. Good luck in whatever you choose.

Everyone else- Hello.

So. Here we go. Woke up at 5 am with a serious need to, uhh, evacuate. Holy Smooth Move. I read somewhere on this site that if it's hot going out, then that is a lot of acidic stuff leaving the body. Apparently I've eaten a lot of acidifying stuff. It's kind of funny. I felt so very differently about those fries when they were going down.

Seems one of the benefits of this is getting intimate with the whole story about what I eat. Going in AND coming out. Woah. Maybe help me to make some different choices ordering at the diner.

Debating yoga this morning. If the SWF don't start flushing soon, then I can't risk it.

That's all for the morning check in.

Sending out the good stuff to those that need it.

Kohl

[sweetcornprincess]

Springysue -

If it were me, I would up it to the minimum 6 six glasses a day to increase your detox. You may not be detoxing as fast on only 4 glasses, so you aren't losing that false weight from all the toxins if they aren't leaving your body.

Sigurdsson - I had a bad detox day yesterday too. Just remember, it's progress not perfection. You did great.

And cheers to Adia! What an angel. You are so lucky to have her support going into this. It makes all the difference.

I woke up just a little late and got down only half the swf...I hope it still works. I had such a bad detox day yesterday, I'm going to drink a cup of tea right now - especially since I didn't do the whole swf.

I wonder if that's okay...Peter? Haven't seen you in a couple days...or maybe I just missed the threads.

I woke up with crazy mucous production this morning - Day 6. I feel like I'm either a little ahead or a little behind considering yesterday was so bad w/joint pain, and most say Day 5 and 6 are not the worse.

I also woke up in the middle of the night with spins - slow spins like a merry-go-round. I was dreaming of a tornado, and we were caught in a storm. I had to pee...stumbled like a drunkard through the spins, but they never went away - even after 5 minutes. I just went back to sleep. They snuck this am too. It's like the room starts to move slowly in a clockwise direction. Going to have my lemonade. I'm sure they will stop.

[SIGURDSSON]

day 5.
didn't buckle last night.
lots of sludge this morning.
I went into a complete panic last night. I started looking up "benefits of fasting" last night on the internet. I have really low blood pressure and had posted a question about it here, but didn't get a response. anyway, I found a site that was pro fasting but listed some conditions that you shouldn't fast if you have. low blood pressure being one of them.
anyway, I did my SWF this morning and the sludge came out and I want to keep going but I get worried about my health and not having a doctor or a naturopath over-see the fast. at least check out my blood pressure. I'm staying on for now but I'm going to call around today and find someone who can check out my vitals.
I just think it's the smart thing to do. I have a little boy on my own. I want to improve my health not mess it up more. I think, I know! fasting is amazing, I've done it before but it's important to make sure it's done in a beneficial way.
blah blah

[sweetcornprincess]

Yay. Way to go Sigurdsson. I'm a single parent too - I was kinda worried when I had the spins that wouldn't go away for just that reason. We gotta take care of ourselves.

What about calling a local fire station. Don't they do that for free?

[christopher_speer]

Thank you everyone for the continued encouragement. I really believe I am going to get through this fast with everyones help.

Day 1 8:48AM

I am not eating. I am not having potatoes and scrambled eggs. I am not drinking coffee (as I did yesterday). I just partook in 2 wonderfully large glasses of salt water and am about to be experiencing the meaning of the word flush. I haven't eaten in over 12 hours. The last thing I ate was a bowl of fruit salad and a small muffin. I got a nice full night of sleep after a damn hard night at work. I think I need this cleansing more than anything right now.
My normal morning duties include waking up with and caring for my 9 month old daughter. But, this morning, and for the next 10 days or so, Adia offered to "switch" with me to accomodate my SWF duties.
Speaking of duties, I gotta run.

[SIGURDSSON]

yeah SPEER!
good luck. we're all cheering you on. take good care of yourself.

[ladydee]

Good Morning everyone -

Today is MC4/Day 30 - at last.

(Background: MC1 15 days, 12/28/05-1/11/06. MC2 16 days, 1/14 - 1/29. MC3 10 days 2/1-2/10; MC4 Mar.1-31.)

i last posted on Mar. 22 which feels like years ago; these last 8 days have been an eternity. Still, the days were easier b/c of this Bb and the varied, interesting, inspiring and amusing posts. Thank you all for enhancing my motivation and my overall cleanse experience(s). :)

In case someone is interested, i did not have the "smooth" auto-pilot type of long fast.

Physically: i was hungry almost every day. i had alternate days of hi energy and euphoria, then (de-tox) days of low energy and spaciness/irritability. SWF eliminations stayed the same, except more *solids* in the last 3/4 days. (That tells me that i could go longer; there's more waste to clean out.) SWF process took longer each day too (up to 3 hrs). Tongue is less coated, but breath's still bad. Hunger was an ongoing "issue" and last night, fantasized a bite of my arm for a snack. But since i have only eaten for about 22 days *in this year,* i think most of my hunger is legit, not just a dtox symptom.

Overall, since i started, i have lost at least 20 pounds and that feels and looks good. Some old injuries have *healed* or at least, become less painful, especially my neck (left C2-4!). Plantar fasciitis in foot almost gone. i have exercised daily, 30-60 minutes and enjoyed it. Never a problem wth energy levels while exercising but some lethargy in evenings.

Mentally / Spiritually/ Emotionally: i feel great right now, even if a little *watery* and weak. After some exercise, that will change. This has been a very humbling but empowering experience, to do the cleanse for 30 days. ( Puts things in a different perspective. Re-prioritizes lots of things.) Those feelings infuse my other "life projects."

It is good to be alive, and sensate, in this most beautiful spring, here in the south. So again - gratitude and determination, and a clarity that i have sorely needed. Did some emotional dtoxing too but won't bore you wth that except to say it was "bi-polar" at it's best, or worse, wth frozen yogurt cravings . i self-talked a *lot* and laughed at me, often. i am proud that i did not cave.

A few days ago, i made vegetable soup and was not even tempted to taste or eat it. More recently, i went food shopping and was still not tempted to eat. Somewhere i read that in 21 days, the body can be re-set or re-programmed, so i am hoping that is true for me. i'll find out soon. (Tomorrow & Sat. = OJ. Sunday = salad, soup. Monday = Winn Dixie, Publix & Krispy Kreme. Just kiddin.)

Last week, in this town's one health food store, i met two other MC'er's. One was on day 6, one was about to start. The 2nd one teaches a yoga class; i might treat myself to a "celebration" yoga class tonight.

To all of you who are still cleansing, stay with it. Be clear about your goals and reinforce your motivation in every way you can. If you want to, you *really* can do this (10-day- minimum) cleanse, in spite of the many (apparent) obstacles, from the nasty SWF & demanding family & social life to undermining friends & mind games ("eat now or die!").

Each person's cleanse does appear to be unique or to differ from others, in some ways, but in the end, each person benefits in numerous ways, it seems.

So - happy squeezing everyone ( and a big grin and hugs to Res & Sopheetsa).

i'll be lurking, and posting on the "Post-MC" thread. 8)


**Note: Do not publish this or any of my posts without my written permission. Thanks.**

[Hilary]

Ladydee.
Congratulations to you in the most supportive way! Wow, 30 days. I have some questions that you may be able to answer.

I am on day 11 of what I hope to be, a 40 day cleanse. It is my first time. I feel great and don't have any major problems. I crave food, but am not generally hungry. I read a lot on this forum of other MC'rs experiences and I am confused about a few things.

1. Aside from day 2 and 3, when I had massive headaches, I haven't yet really had a bad day. A lot of people talk about detoxing and feeling down, etc., but that hasn't been my experience. Am I doing something wrong I wonder?

2. You say after 30 days, you still have stool coming from your bowels, which means you are still detoxing. Do you think that is the norm, or ??? Do you think by 40 days I will be completely detoxed?

3. I am chosing to go 40 days because mainly, I have bad spinal arthritis, and want to do everything 'naturally' rather than take meds and I think the longer I go on my fast/cleanse the better it is for my joints. Also, they say it takes 21 days to either form a habit or break a habit, and my eating habits have been very poor over the last few years (lots of coffee, wine, lots of meat and chees) So I think that 40 should put me in the clear for certain. do you have any thoughts around that?

Again, congratulations, you are a inspriration to me, and I'm sure many others.
Hilary

[pnkmnkygrl]

Today is day 2 of my first mc and so far it's been pretty easy, except for the swf. I have only been able to get about 20oz down. Does anyone know if that still works? Guess I'll find out in about 30min or so!! It's so thick and slimy, yuck!!!! Today I tried chasing it with mint tea, which was helpful, but I have yet to finish it. Maybe tomorrow...

Haven't felt hungry yet, which is great. I did find junk food commercials alluring this morning though, those usually never get me. But I guess thats more craving than hunger mixed with a little bit of the wanting to do something you know you're not supposed to thing.

[Guest]

Made it to day 10 - almost thought I wouldn't since the detox symptons were so bad. Am thinking about continuing on but I'm still having bad headaches and a lot of dizziness....and I want to eat! However my tongue is still coated in white and I know there's more bad stuff still hanging out in my body so it's tempting to continue. I'll get through today and see how I'm feeling.

This was my third cleanse and I feel like I got a lot more results in terms of "getting stuff out". I lost about 8 pounds, the majority of which I hope to keep off. It was a much harder cleanse for me in terms of side effects however.

For those of you just starting out keep with it because it's worth it....and for those finishing congratulations! This time around was easier for me because I could read all your comments and experiences - thanks for your virtual support!

Happy Cleansing!

[jarcbb]

Hello All,
First time posting, but have to admit have been lurking and reading. This is my first cleanse. Started on Sunday the 26th. The last two days have been so hard, am really hungry and craving coffee like crazy. Came so close to making me a cup yesterday, but one of my daughters talked me out of it. Well I'm halfway there, at first wanted to do 21 days, but if the next 5 are like the last two don't know if I can. Also waiting for this burst of energy everyone talks about. Didn't have the best eating habits but not the worst either. Not allot of fast food but a snacker, mainly on nuts and such. Wanted to know if anyone has psoriasis. Have had it for about 30 years and was wondering if the cleanse might help. Thats all for now. Good luck to everyone. jarcbb

[_cocotaso]

im on day 6 (thank God) &my wish came true this morning. this may be a little graphic, i apologize in advance...

i had just finished srubbing myself down with my mitt when i was overwhelmed with cramps. long story short i passed, for lack of better phrasing, booty snot. it was dark brown, dense &gelatinous. ewwwwlk. i was grossed out &intrigued at the same time...perhaps due to being from the bill nye generation, i dont know.
where does this stuff come from? &is this the mucous im supposed to be passing? i kinda wanted to get my phone &take a picture of it to send to my mom! ha...not that she would want to see it.

this morning i couldnt get down the swf. the smell of it made me sick. i drank the tea instead but even that was difficult. if the next few days are gonna be like this i dont know im gonna make it. is this because of my period? which came early by the way...accck. as if the cramps from my tea wasnt enough. im gonna go bundle up and watch the people's court.

good luck everybody! one day at a time...

[Butch_Honeywell]

Hey cleansers,
So my congrats to Sigurdsson for sticking it out and to Speer for starting. My gratitude for all the encouraging posts from those that just completed the fast.
I am hungry. If I don't keep a constant flow of the lemonade going down. I'm hurting. A fire truck went by, I thought, "Firemen always eat hoagies at that place on the corner." And, BAM, full-on craving for a meatball parmagiana. And I'm a vegetarian. Go figure.
This is nonetheless the close of Day 2 and that this is likely to pass as my my body switches to an exclusively catabolic state and starts breaking the toxic stuff.

Going to keep going inspite of all the enticing 'Stop Now' justifications my mind is chattering.

Good luck everyone. We can keep at it!

Kohl

[christopher_speer]

7:21PM
Well, I got through today with no problems at all. The SWF went well, and the lemonade TASTED GREAT!! Last year I made the stuff too strong and I just couldn't stand it. This time I used more water, 16 full ounces per serving of lemonade, as opposed to 10-12 I was using last time. More water makes a BIG difference for me. Does anyone else do this?
The weather was nice here in Jersey, so I spent a lot of time outside with Adia and my daughter, Mayden. It was nice being in the sun and enjoying my first full foodless day.
I must say I feel different already. The mental clarity has already begun. I know I am going to succeed this time.

[ballyhoo]

Hi all

Today is meant to be the last day of my fast. Day 10.

Yesterday I ran out of maple syrup (good planner I am!) and only had 3 lemon juices and minimal water. Thank goodness I had no headaches. BUT I was soooo cold. I went to bed in my dressing gown (!), sock and extra blankets. My husband thought this was quite amusing, especially as it is summer time here in Oz.

My period also started yesterday and I had major cramps, which I don't usually get. Today, however, they have gone. Whew.

Today I went and bought my new maple syrup, so there's no point in ending the cleanse. I have also decided to carry on until I lose another 6 lbs. I lost 8 in the last ten days.

I have had loads of phlegm and this afternoon I feel sore at the top of my throat. Don't know whether I have sores on the back of my tongue. Could this happen from the lemons? Or whether I am getting a sore throat. Don't usually get colds. Could this be a detox symptom?

If I do get sick, do I stop the cleanse?

Sigurdsson - good one you for sticking with it. Hope you managed to see a Naturopath.

Good luck to all of you. Keep going.

[Becky]

I am on day 5 and kinda have the same problem with phlegm and I sound really hoarse. I'm thinking it's a detox syptom.

[sweetcornprincess]

HELP. What should I do, and what does this mean?

Today would be Day 7. Yesterday was so bad. Detox symptoms were just intense. Extreme joint pain and cravings and wanting to chew my arm off. I have not had such a bad day since I started. Maybe I was drinking the lemonade too strong since Day 5.

Literally, with almost the instant sip of the lemonade, my joints would start to radiate pain.

And my skin felt like it was sunburn. It just burnt and stung. I washed it and took a hot shower last night - that helped.

So I was just freaked out. I was in heavy detox and am pretty toxic due to semi-regular pain med used for my back. I guess I may fall into the "need to take it easy" category - or at least I did yesterday.

I (very slowly) drank a glass of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice for dinner intending to break my fast and call it quits for the first time.

I felt better. Then I got a headache. Had a bit more lemonade and water...but I fell asleep and skipped the tea. Dammit.

I woke up late and raced out the door, so I just did a SWF here at work. LOL I don't care. I just want to eliminate some of those toxins I mobilized yesterday.

What do I do now? Can I continue? I woke up feeling better. I want to keep going, but did the grapefruit juice set me back?

[Dreams]

Hello LemonLand! :)

I'm so excited to see this newer, faster loading thread! Great idea, MonkeyMomma! I had literally quit communicating during the end of my MC1 because of the long, dreaded wait times.

So you guys sound like you are doing amazing things with your cleanses! You are AWESOME and INSPIRING!

I am starting again tomorrow. I guess I'm feeling a bit foolish about gaining most of my weight back already, so April Fool's day seems an appropriate day to begin again! :)

I haven't decided yet on how long this Master Cleanse will be this time. I finished my first MC in February and it went 29 days! I'm not quite up to all that again already, but i'm kind of thinking along the lines of 14 to 21 days.

I'm so glad I found you all here. You are a great group and I'm so looking forward to joining you all.

A special hello to LadyDee! I see your still cleansing! You are like the energizer bunny. . . . I love the energizer bunny! Just keeps going . . . and going . . .

Good to be back . . . ~ Dreams ~

[christopher_speer]

12:52PM

Everything seems to be going as planned. The salt water flush was weird this morning. Not as much junk was eliminated as yesterday morning, and it took longer to start too. We'll see how it goes tomorrow.
The good news is I'm not very hungry, no real intolerable cravings. I also lost 1.5 pounds since yesterday. I am very pleased with that.
I have noticed that I am more tired than usual. I took a nap already and woke up an hour ago. But, I'm already exhausted again and feel like sleeping again. I can't wait to get that "burst of energy" people always talk about. Maybe by day 6 or 7.

[pnkmnkygrl]

Today is day 3 and this morning I finally got all the swf down! YEA!!! The past two days I was only able to get down about 20oz of it, but today seemed much easier. I was worried that the salt wasn't desolved enough and kept looking into the bottle, silly, I know. But I think I'm just getting used to it. It still tastes gross, but at least I know I can get it down. Hopefully, tomorrow will be as easy. I've been chasing it with mint tea, which really helps.

I had some pretty serious cravings yesterday afternoon for the first time. I was craving all sorts of things including raw foods and healthy foods which the book says is a sign of "real" hunger. I feel alright today but it's only noon here, so we'll see how the rest of the day goes.

I love this message board, it's been very motivational to read postings everyday, a few times a day, actually.

I like the checklist in Peter's book too. It gives me a real feeling of accomplishment to mark things off each day. Is anyone else using that?

[lachiesa]

Hi pnkmnkygrl, could you tell me wher the checklist in Peter's book is. I am curious to check that out.
Thanks so much.

[Yellowgirl]

Nearing the end of Day 9.

Things were going well until around 3:00pm this afternoon - then all of a sudden, I got really, really sleepy! I mean yawning, could doze of in a few seconds kind of tired. So I quickly made some more lemonade and I felt a little better afterwards, but was still somewhat tired.

Now it's 7:15pm and I still feel tired. I was kind of surprised, especially since I've been waiting for the burst of energy I'd been hearing about! :'(

My sense of smell is off the charts today. I walked through an office where there was pizza and I couldn't believe how good it smelled! And suddenly I was craving pizza! That sensation went away after a while.

My husband fixed himself some chicken and steamed broccoli and the broccoli smells so good.

I'm guessing that I'm detoxing today and that's why I'm tired and hungry. I was planning for tomorrow to be my last day, but now I'm thinking I need to go longer.

Anyone have any advice for me? :-*

[Yellowgirl]

Hi pnkmnkygrl, could you tell me wher the checklist in Peter's book is. Â*I am curious to check that out.
Thanks so much.

Hi stella,

the checklist is on page 39 of Peter's book. ;D

[christopher_speer]

7:36PM

Today I walked outside and noticed my cat, Frosty, was chewing on something in the grass. Upon further inspection, it turned out to be a piece of pizza from the cafeteria we live next to. My cat... was eating... PIZZA... my favorite food. That kind of pissed me off, but I took a deep breath and shrugged it off.
So, we (my family and myself) went took a long walk this evening and it was fantastic! The weather was beautiful. We stopped by the park and played on the swing sets and slid down slides. It was an awesome activity for my 2nd day of this fast. I experienced a few hunger and craving episodes today, but nothing a little fresh lemonade couldn't fix. On our way home from the walk, I felt a little dizzy and weak. But, I made it home in one piece and now I'm fine.
Hopefully tomorrow the SWF will be awesome and there should be some tounge coating action happening. It has been a good day 2.

[pnkmnkygrl]

Thank you yellowgirl for answering Stella's question. I haven't checked in for a few hours.
It's the end of day 3 for me and I was pretty hungry mid afternoon again today but it passed and now I'm alright. I've been really tired all day though and am having some joint soreness. My lower back is really sore, does anyone else have that?
I'm excited to see if tomorrow is better, I want to have that surge of energy everyone talks about.
Has anyone noticed how many commericals are food related?!? I never really noticed before but now it's driving me crazy, thank god for tivo, I keep fast forwarding through everything. I knew there were always a lot of pizza commercials on during dinner time but it's so much more than that. It seems like at least half of commercials are food related which made me wonder about the television-obesity link. I know that the lethargy of sitting in front of the tv to much can aid in becoming overweight but I wonder if the suggestive selling of all the food seeping into our brains has something to do with it too. We're massive over-eating victims of commercial marketing!!
Sorry, just some of my day3 ranting.
I'll check in tomorrow, happy juicing everyone!

[lachiesa]

Thank you YellowGirl for the answer. I am going to buy the book for sure. How is it going with your fast? You are almost done right? Well, I will be joining you girls with this fast this coming Sunday. Ohh boy! I am a little nervous. Anyway, I am reading right now a book called HOW AND WHEN TO BE YOUR OWN DOCTOR by Dr. Isabelle A. Moser with Steve Solomon. Sooo interesting. Don’t worry Pnkmnkygrl about your aches and pain. They will go away soon. I am attaching the link of this book so you can print it. It is for free. I printed it out ant I put it in a binder. Believe me, it is a very good book full of Health Information.

http://www.soilandhealth.org/02/0201hyglibcat/020102moser/020102Moser00toc.html

Dr. Isabelle Moser said in her book that a fast of only one week on water, can accomplish a significant amount of healing. In one week of fasting a person can relieve more dangerous conditions such as arthritic pain, rheumatism, kidney pain, and many symptoms associated with allergic reactions. Do you suffer of arthritis? If so hang in there. Let’s do this fast together. Let’s keep in touch. And yes Pnkmnkygrl, the commercials on TV are always related to food. They are always showing junk food. That’s why there is so much obesity in the US. That’s a shame! I am originally from Italy living right now in Seattle. Where are you girls from?
Talk to you soon. :)

[Dreams]

MC2/Day1

Well, here I am! My next attempt at cleansing my body and ridding myself of some bad food habits and such has begun!!

I am so pleased to have this BB! Everyone here is so amazing and its always great not to feel alone in your most important, most difficult endeavors in life! :)

So press on, lemonheads! Have a great squeeze! I'll be checking in often so I'm looking forward to getting to "know" you all! 'till later . . . . ~ Dreams ~

[ladydee]

Good Morning Everyone, especially ((( Dreams ))) !

i'm glad to see you back, Dreams; your posts back in jan. were very useful and inspirational to me - they still are. (Yep, i've been just like that little rabbit - going, and going and going . . .)

"Post" MC/4 (30 Days) D2. Yesterday i did manage to do the freshly juiced OJ (wth lemon added and later, grapefruit as well). [OJ alone is too acidic for my system.] Last night, though, i was hungry and craving in a *major* way . . . partly b/c i have a fridge and cupboard full of lovely, healthy foods, some i've never tried, like Bok Choy.

Today, will try OJ again but if i am really, really hungry, i will eat (an apple or/and a salad) and move things up one day. :) After all, i have done the MC for at least 70 (non-consecutive) days and i am pretty sure, it is time for me to eat!!!

For those of you still in the MC, *COngratulations,* and stay with it. i wld suggest that you try to focus on longer term goals; read the boards often and the 2 books, especially Burroughs.' It is sometimes hard, but try NOT to / obsess over the little hour-to-hour changes and detoxing and etc. And soon, you'll be on day 10!

Gotta go get some calcium/mag tablets. Have a lovely lemony weekend everyone! 8)

[sweetcornprincess]

Okay. I finally feel back on track. I'm so glad I decided to stick with it. I don't think the little bit of grapefruit juice on day 6 set me back too much...just slowed things down a bit which I needed as my skin was burning so bad and the joint pain was overwhelming. Intention was to break the fast and end the cleanse, but I realized that was not what I need.

Yesterday was worrisome w/no eliminations. The SWF has never not worked for me. It must be due to my falling asleep the night before and not drinking the tea.

So...Day 8. Limiting my lemonade intake to 6-8 glasses and increasing my water.

Hello Dreams. Welcome back.

[DEEDLES]

Hi all,

Posted a new thread about finding a newbie to start with on Monday 4-3-06, but I think I'll jump in here if that's okay.

I've read the books and am going shopping for my lemons and laxative tea today... I have grade B maple syrup from the health food store and plenty of cayenne. We have Aquasana shower filters on our two showers so now I get my drinking water out of the shower! Lol, it's the best water in the house! And it helps that our village doesn't add fluoride poison to the water anyway.

I'm shooting for ten days but my mind is open for more depending on how I seem to be detoxing.

It seems that fuzzy tongue is kind of a benchmark for continuing, is that right?

Anyway, looking forward to the MC!!

How does one add smilies?

[christopher_speer]

12:39PM

WOW! I made it to day three! What can I say? If I make it past today without cheating, I think I'm going all 10 days. Adia is working with me constantly to help me get through it. She always tries to eat privately and warn me whenever she's about to eat (so I won't be jealous and develop unnecessary food-envy). She also promised me a fantastical food fiesta if I make it through the 10 days without giving up. However, if I cheat or stop the fast early, I get NOTHING!!!! That's incentive enough for me.

This morning was good. I woke up with a rumbling stomach due to the laxative tea. The salt water flush was the best yet, and I got down the salt water quicker than ever. I'm sure that helped in some way. I felt a little weak this morning. But, as always, the lemonade brought me back to life.

more later

[SIGURDSSON]

Hi everyone.
I went off at the end of day 5. a little sad. but I'm trying to just eat well and light and plan for another one.
I wonder how long I should wait? does anyone know?
I have done 4 fast now since Nov 05. Nov, dec, jan ,march. each 5 days (about)
I've read different things, like that you can fast one day week or a few days a month.
so, with that in mind.....these previous fasts can be seen as maintenance fasts and not by 2 big fasts annually?

anyway, my project now is to find a good naturopath that can monitor the next one. just to make sure I'm ok for a long one. and to make me feel more secure.
then I won't have an excuse. and so I'll just relax.

anyway, good luck to all of you. I'm in awe of all of you who make it through. and even to us who do the shorter fast....we're trying right? there's still benefits. it's a step closer to better health.
good luck.

[_cocotaso]

today is day 8 for me and i'm feeling really bad today. i just finished doing the swf but that only accounts for the physical discomfort. i've been dealing with pretty serious bouts of depression the last few years and although id like to say that i've dealt with it but that's not completely accurate. i just havent had any issues lately. today has just been bad...

this is a part of the detox im sure. i still would prefer not to deal with it. not right now. i have a lot of other things i have to deal with...this definitely disturbs the "mental clarity" of the cleanse. im off to do what i normally do when i feel this way.

sleep.


good luck to everyone else.

[dizzykitty]

hi everyone day 1 first timer here.

I'm on the cleanse because i broke my arm and took pain meds. these made me so constipated and bloated. I just want to clear it all out of my system!

my mother and sis both tried this cleanse and both failed to finish...i hope to be the first to make it! maybe i can inspire them to finish it!

my first tea took 12 hours to pass and i took my first SWF today...and it took 3 hours to flush!!! from what i've read here this appears to be a long time. luckely i'm off work and dont have to time anything!

well, congrats to all of you who've made it!!

[Yellowgirl]

my first tea took 12 hours to pass and i took my first SWF today...and it took 3 hours to flush!!! Â*from what i've read here this appears to be a long time. Â*luckely i'm off work and dont have to time anything!

well, congrats to all of you who've made it!!



Hi dizzykitty,

About 10 - 20 minutes after you finish the SWF, start rubbing, kneading, pushing, squeezing, and massaging your entire abdomen, stomach and intestines. If you do it vigorously enough, you'll feel and hear some gurgling - that means you got it moving!

Keep doing that until you get the "urge," then go sit on the bowl and keep doing it until it's out!

Works like a charm! ;D

[christopher_speer]

9:26AM

I made it to day four. I can't believe it. There were definitely some times yesterday afternoon and evening where food was all I could think about. The first thoughts of quitting came into my head. But, I went straight to Adia and told her about it. She immediately worked her magic and persuaded me to stay on course. "You're almost half way there", she told me. And she's right. I am almost half way there.
Everything is going well I guess. I only drank 5 glasses of the lemonade yesterday. I know they recommend 6-12, and I try to at least drink 6. But, it was getting late and it was about time for the Smooth Move tea. So I skipped #6. I guess its not a big deal. My tongue isn't really coated like they say it should be yet. It has some shades of white on it, but no thick coating yet. Hopefully soon it'll show up. I must say I am questioning whether anything beneficial is happening yet. Maybe some good ol' detox symptoms might convince me.

[Dreams]

Hello All!

Thank you for the "welcome back" sweetcornprincess! And I'm proud of you for honoring yourself in not breaking too soon. You said you realized that was not what you needed to do. It means so much when a person is able to really tune into their own body state. It will make a great deal of difference in the rest of our lives if we all can continue to refine that talent! :)

So today is Day 2 for me. I started with a SWF and am about to get dressed and ready for the day. I know. I know. Its kind of late to just be getting started. But I'm on Vacation and am planning on taking it pretty easy this week. On a normal Sunday morning I would get up at 3:45 am to make my e-a-r-l-y shift at work. So even though I have no great plans to see the world or money to spend doing it on this Vacation, I intend to treat myself very well.

I woke up kind of yukky today. Just not a good feeling so far. I'm not hungry though. That's a real plus for me because I was one of the unlucky few who had incredible, intense, unrelenting hunger during my first MC (29 days). It was SO VERY HARD! But proudly, I never caved! I did the whole thing by the book.

I have a little trouble getting enough Cayenne Pepper in a day, though. Kind of uncomfortable for me. I am not a hot and spicy lover. I struggle with that part.

Well, I'm off to set myself up for today. I have lemonade to make and some other things to do. I'll check in on you later! :)

congrats to all of you continuing and those of us just getting started as well! ~ Dreams ~

[ladydee]

Good Morning Everyone, especially ((( Dreams ))) !

i'm glad to see you back, Dreams; your posts back in jan. were very useful and inspirational to me - they still are. (Yep, i've been just like that little rabbit - going, and going and going . . .)


Just wanted to make sure you saw this, Dreams. :)

Stay "strong like bull," everyone. Me, i'm fighting a different battle right now . . . strong like wet noodle . . .

[Dreams]

Hey LemonHeads!

A special shout out to ladydee! Strong like wet noodle!
Ha! That's probably just a bit stronger than I feel right now! And I understand the "fighting a different battle" thing too! I didn't do real well with my after fast strategy for planning a new way of eating. I'm thinking a lot more about that this time. And thank you for the kind words. Its good to see someone here from January. I missed everyone a lot but the incredibly long time waiting to post on the original 2006 thread got me down.

I'm starving again this evening. Shoot. I hope I can get past it this time. I'm just believing the Day 2 and 3 thing will apply to me this time. Hoping by Day 4 to have some of the hunger behind me.

I'm cold already late into Day 2. I am already experiencing the heightened sense of smell as well. Both of these symptoms appeared a bit later for me last time. Interesting. I know some of you guys that have done several fasts say each one is different.

So, not much to report otherwise. I will certainly let you know if anything exciting happens! ~ Dreams ~

[Aurelia333]

Hi all,

Great to see this board is alive and kicking. This is day 2 of my second MC. I'm aiming for 10 days. My first cleanse was 19 days, in September 2005.

This cleanse is easier so far. I'm eliminating well, and no major detox symptoms yet. I've followed a 100% vegetarian and 80% raw diet since the last cleanse; maybe that has helped.

It was hard last night to smell the excellent guacamole my husband whipped up. But, I downed a full glass of lemonade and reminded myself that guac is in my near future!

Also...organic lemons are now $.99/lb instead of $2.79 when I did the cleanse last. Another nice surprise.

Keep going, everyone...you have awesome strength and courage!

[ballyhoo]

Hello all

Today is day 13 for me! I just can't believe it. Aimed for 10 and have carried on. The way I do it now is to just have little goals! I aim to lose another 3kg (6lb). When I have done that I shall reassess where I'm at.

Still having mega cravings for carbs. Sad, isn't it?

The front of my tongue has lost the whiteness and I can see some pink. Wow.

So so so cold. Weather turning colder as well, which doesn't help.

I have started drinking two glasses of juice at one time i.e. 20oz and having a greater time inbetween drinks. Do you think that's ok? I find that morning and afternoon I'm often out, so have gaps where there's no juice, which is why I thought I'd just double it. That way I'm still having 6 glasses a day, but in three lots. Loads of water inbetween, which is easily accessible.

If anyone thinks I'm doing the wrong thing, PLEASE let me know!

Tried the SWF again yesterday morning and although there was some movement, not enough to make up for FOUR days of constipation.

I have pure senna leaf tea every evening and morning, when not SWFing, but minimal bowel movement. Certainly not one a day, let alone the three or four we are meant to have.

I'm really thinking of having a colonic. I know we shouldn't, but what am I to do?

Also thought of having a tablespoon of psyllium husks. Which would be the better choice?

Thanks to all and for all you MC starters, break your fast down into attainable goals, rather than "10 days", perhaps try "until Wed" or "for three days". It certainly helped me along.

[Dreams]

Hi Y'All! :)

Here I am again, coming from somewhere deep in the heart of Texas lovin' y'all to pieces! So glad we're all in this together! :)

Aurelia333: Looks like you and I started our MC2's on the same day! My first was in Jan 2006 for 29 days! I wasn't really planning another until June or so, but feel I am ready for another round of cleansing right now. I am one of those who has learned to do what I need to do right when my mind is set in the right place. Otherwise, the moment will pass and I'll be out of my "right mind", so to speak! :)

And Ballyhoo: You are AWESOME! Your 20 oz at a time is a great idea! No - your not doing anything "wrong". Each Master Cleanse is unique to the individual. You are doing great and have a great accomplishment already going for 13 days! 14 now, right? Anyway, the colonic idea is not foreign to me. I have considered doing a series in conjunction with my own MC, but have not made any plans yet. I think a chat with a good hydrotherapist would probably be a great idea for you. Once they know your doing the MC, which I am sure they are familiar with, they could advise you in detail as to what would be right for you. Keep it up! You are doing great!

I am doing OK today I think. Last night I was way to hungry though.

During my first MC, I made it clear to my family (Ron and his 17 year old (cute, too cute) daughter) that I would not be cooking or spending any time in the kitchen. We have all been together for 7 years and I think they thought I was kidding or something. It took some getting used to I think. I felt like a real witch some nights when I knew they were hungry and pressed for time because of activities or whatever. But we all got through it OK. No real harm done. Hopefully.

T-H-I-S time however, I felt guilty for some reason last night, and even though I was starving, I went in there and made a great fajita fiesta for them with an authentic mexican rice and all the other goodies that we all love! I hope they don't think I'll be able to do that during this entire cleanse! Ha! I may have created a couple of monsters now, I'm afraid! Today I'll break the news they are on their own in the again.

I admire all of you who continue to cook for your others and your kids and such while doing this MC. I just melt around my favorite foods, as I'm sure we all do. My hat's off to you folks! But I'm not doin' it! :)

So on we go into the day! Bye - ~ Dreams ~

[Aurelia333]

Greetings lemonheads! I'm so proud of everyone on this board.

Today's day 3 for me. Was up in the middle of the night, nauseous and releasing some foul stuff. Felt fine after that. Amazes me that things can stay in there so long and putrify, even after eating a pretty clean diet. Grateful to get it OUT of me!!!

Ballyhoo: I'm cold, too. Especially right after the SWF. I was cold on my last flush, too, in the summer. Hot baths and warm clothes and knowing it'll be over soon help. Colonics: I had them before I discovered the MC. Definitely stirred up and eliminated toxins (I felt nauseous...needed pepermint oil under my nose to quell the queezies). Colonics only treat the large intestine, though, not the small. Stanley Burroughs is negative about colonics, but I don't think they're harmful, as long as they're done occassionally and you replace the good flora with probiotics.

Dreams: Where are you in TX? I visited friends in Austin last month...fun! Your hunger: Are you drinking lemonade all your waking hours? My husband was really hungry on our last cleanse. He just drank lemonade constantly and that helped him. 12+ glasses a day. Also, I'm not a spicy person either. I understand that even a little bit of cayenne is helpful, so don't worry about having to use a lot.

Piper: Use your best judgment about whether you've broken the cleanse. On an earlier post, someone drank a bit of grapefruit juice one evening. Since this is so much like lemon juice, I wouldn't consider that breaking the cleanse. Three slices of pizza, however, would definitely guk up your system and you'd want to start over (of course, you might get really sick doing that..so don't try it.) Avocado? Well, it's a wonderfully healthful food. But it does contain fat, which means your liver has to get involved in digestion. We're trying to give our digestive system a rest. For me, eating avocado would not be part of the cleanse. In the end, no one is watching over you or grading you...trust your own judgment about how your body will react and what's best for it.

Christopher: You're lucky to have Adia cheering you on. It's so helpful to have someone in our corner, isn't it!

Keep going everyone! You rock!!!

[sweetcornprincess]

Yep. I drank grapefruit juice on a bad night when I was going to stop my cleanse. I was wondering the same thing, but my body just wanted to keep going. It did not feel like I had broken my fast persay - except the instant headache I got. It pretty much just eased the intense detox symptoms a bit and slowed things down until I was into the next day.

Your body will really tell you... and keep in mind even if you do start over, it's not about the number so much. You could say you were on Day 1 again, but your body would progress quickly and you would probably be feeling well ahead in the cleanse compared to actually being on Day 2 back when you began for example.

Today is Day 11 for me...I'll be having some grapefruit juice soon, and then maybe some orange juice. We'll see.

I'm ready to call this one a success. I feel great though. So energetic again. I will be going for 14-20 next time...maybe toward the end of the summer or whenever I feel I need it again.

[LUinLA]

Hi everyone. I'm new. On day 2.

Today, I'm having trouble stomaching the lemonade. It's making me really nauseous. I'm trying to chase it with plain water and tea. Yesterday, I felt the maple syrup was too sweet for me and I used less in today's batch. Doesn't seem to matter though because my stomach feels really upset.

Anyway, not to dwell on the negative. I'm hoping to make it 10 days though I've never done a fast and am very hypoglycemic so I'm a bit nervous that I'll have wild blood sugar highs and lows. Otherwise, I really need my kidneys and liver to get a rest and do some cleansing. I feel like I've been carrying around a great deal of emotional and toxic weight which I'm over.

So, thanks for the board. Very encouraging. Hopefully I'll find the strength to press on.

Lu

[pnkmnkygrl]

Hi all! I haven't posted for a couple of days. I'm on day 6 of my first mc and up until now it's been pretty easy for me. All my detox symptoms have been manageable and luckily I haven't experienced any of the horrible headaches people are talking about.
I started this with a goal of 5 days so I wouldn't feel bad if I wanted to stop and because I was uncertain of how I would handle it being my first cleanse an' all. I've felt really great so figured I would stick it out. Ironically today has been horrible, no detox symptoms but I'm SOOOOOO hungry! I've been a bit hungry during mid day of each day but today is worse. I considered going to a raw restaurant thats here today, which would probably make me sick in the long run, don't want to skip the juice. I didn't go and now that it's 6pm here I'm convinced I'll make it through the day. Yay!!!
I'm so happy to have this place to vent.
If anyone has any good stories about the benefits of days 7-10 I'd appreciate it.
Thanks all-

[Dreams]

Hello LemonLand!

How are your lemony selves tonight? :)

I am finishing up day 3 and have had a good day overall. I think I have drank more lemonade today than I usually do so not so hungry tonght.

Ron and I spent the day cleaning out our "oh so stuffed with junk" garage. I got in a bit more exercise than usual because of all that and did a lot more sweating than I would like as well! Good thing while cleansing, though!!

I do notice some painful spots on my face this evening. Kind of like that "about to break out with a hundred zits" feeling. Well, at least five, if not a hundred! It's a weird feeling. I may have gotten into something allergy like out there today. Who knows? I may just be reverting back to puberty, God forbid! :)

So everyone sounds like you're doing great! I am so pleased to have made my 3 day mark. I am not as into this cleanse as I was last time for some reason, and I keep having doubts I will make it through each day so far. I really need the cleansing and recovery from some bad eating habits right now, so I keep motivating myself as much as I can and keep checking in here with you guys to get my dose of inspiration every few hours. You guys are all so AWESOME!! :)

Going off to the shower now after the long day working in the garage. Sorry thing is, we didn't finish. Another long day of that crap tomorrow too! What a Vacation this is turning out to be! Hard work and no food? :(
I'd rather be working my crummy job, I think.

Oh well, my choice!! The no food part anyway. :)

Next time . . . . . ~ Dreams ~

[debbiehaxton]

hey LUinLA

If your stomach feels upset, it is because you are
not having sufficient eliminations.

Make sure you are drinking the Laxative tea at night,
if you have to, drink 2 cups, until you start eliminating
regularly.

You will always feel so much better after you eliminate
all the garbage out of your system.

You can also drink a mint tea ocassionally, like peppermint.
Peppermint tea is suppose to help
calm your stomach.

Hope this helps. :)

[LUinLA]

Quick question for you experienced folks.

Yesterday, the maple syrup was making me feel really nauseous so I cut down on how much I was having. I don't think the problem was not enough eliminations because I had at least 5 by mid afternoon yesterday. By nighttime, I did my best to force down 6 lemonade drinks, but each with less than the recommended amount of syrup.

My fear though is since the syrup is the main source of calories am I setting myself up for failure? I'd hate to get so hungry that I freak out and break the fast.

Should I just try to choke the syrup down? Or maybe do more lemon drinks per day, just each with less syrup per?

Thoughts?

Today I'm feeling pretty good, still struggling with the syrup, but chasing it with peppermint tea.

Thanks,
Lu

[jarcbb]

Hello All,
This is day nine. On days 4 and 5 I didn't think I would make it this far. Have a couple of questions. Feel like I haven't had allot of detox symtoms, I have been doing everything by the book, just curious. I'm like some of the others I want to see all the yuk stuff. This is my first ever cleanse of any kind so know there has to be allot of stuff. Do you think going longer than the ten days would be benificial? Also have not had allot of weight loss, though this was not the reason for doing the cleanse.
Aurelia, that is one of my daughters name and not one you hear of very often.
Thanks for all the support and will awaiting everyones input as far as going longer than the ten.

[Aurelia333]

Hi everyone,

End of Day 4 on MC2 for me. Minor cravings and a headache for the last 1-1/2 days. Other than that, doing fine.

LU: Is it the taste of the maple syrup or the sweetness that doesn't agree with you? Maybe you could substitute raw agave nectar for some of the syrup to cut the taste. Stanley and Peter say you need the syrup for the vitamins and minerals in it. It is your "brain food" for the cleanse and I think it would be hard to go a long time without it. Also, you might try using limes instead of lemons. Makes the whole drink taste different...more like a margarita...and you might like that better.

Dreams: Think your skin was detoxing?

Jarcbb: Aurelia is a name I adopted. I use that name when I want to connect with the highest expression of myself. It's a beautiful name; your daughter's lucky to have it.

As for going longer than 10 days...in Peter's book he talks about the spiritual/emotional benefits of going past 14 days. For that reason, I did 19 days on my first cleanse and was glad I did. This time, I'm aiming for 10. I'm surprised you haven't had much detox on your first cleanse, especially if you're following to the letter. Maybe try for more than 14 and see if something kicks in? (Peter says major detox tends to run in 7-day cycles, so I suggest you don't want to end near day 14, which could be a heavy detox day.)

Lemonheads, you are the best! Hang in there and know you can do it!

[Dreams]

Good Morning Lemon Land!

Beginning of Day 5 MC2! Feeling OK but waking up each morning dreading the SWF! Getting it done, though.

Aurelia333 -
Yeah. I think my skin is definately being used to release toxins this time. Still have a couple painful spots on my face. I am doing dry skin brushing over my body and an amazing thing I was shown by a massage therapist once. I have Fibromyalgia and this massage therapist used an electric buffer on me once. It is a Craftsman Buffer/Polisher with a sheepskin cover like you would use to wax your car! Ha! :)
I have my guy do it for me over my legs and back and up around my shoulders. Should help some in moving around the lymph fluids, which is really important to our detox.
Taking hot baths in Bentonite also now that I have realized toxins wanting to come through the skin in greater amounts than last time. No real ugly breakouts to report. No boils or pimples or anything. Just rough spots, blotchiness, some itching and some painful spots. Weird! God Bless the Master Cleanse!
What a unique way to cleanse and get in touch with where we are at in the state of our bodies! Since we have to live in them while we are here, it's great to get to know them so well, isn't it? :)

So far Day 5 is going well. I have a busy day ahead here so just a few more minutes on line.

I'll be sqeezing lemons in a bit to set up my 64 oz of lemonade to start the day. I'm making a committment to a bit more water today also. Hard for me to get all my water in for some reason.

Congratulations to every body doing this! I have had a lot of trouble keeping myself motivated this time and have had periods of each day so far where I considered quitting. Deep down, I know I am not quitting before Day 10. But I toy with the idea every day so far. I haven't lost any weight this time either, and although not the primary reason for me cleansing, it was a great motivator to keep going last time! By Day 4 last time I had lost 6 pounds and opposed to 2 this time! Big difference.

Hmmmm. Its not like I'm at a good weight for my height and body frame right now. I am still over 40 lbs from a healthy weight according to my Dr. NOT that I give HIM the almighty status he wishes for, mind you! But I am a border line diabetic and weight is an issue. My own obese sister has already died from complications of Diabetes and my overweight brother is right behind her! I have to agree with him on this one. I tend to lean towards alternative medicine as a rule, and actually fight even going to see this guy. I lost my Thyroid Gland to Grave's Disease many years ago though, and need him to write the 'scripts for my Thyroid Pills. Such is life. He is adamantly opposed to alternative medicine, as most M.D.'s are. I am adamantly opposed to allopathic medicine, so we kind of cancel each other out most of the time. I'm sure most of you understand that kind of thing.

Anyway, time to get a handle on my "to do list" for the day ahead. I'll be back this afternoon.

Keep squeezing! ~ Dreams ~

[ballyhoo]

Hi all

Thanks so much for all your wonderful comments everyone. Sometimes it gets a little lonely out in cyberspace and I'm not always sure I'm doing everything correctly. Major problem I have - perfection. Must have the right number of eliminations, the right detox symptoms. Oh for goodness sake, get a life!!!! So as a result I'm NOT perfect, but . . . happy! Excuse the rambling - must be a detox symptom!!!

Day 16 today and I haven't written for two days. Simple reason being that my health food store ran out of maple syrup, so I had to settle for Blackstrap Molasses to keep me going for two days until the syrup arrived! Yuk yuk and more yuk. It was hideous, but I knew I had to hang in there as I'm not ready to stop this cleanse just yet. I ended up only having three drinks each day, which is not good enough I know, but rather that than going off the rails.

My dear mum sent me a parcel from home FULL of chocolates for Easter. Mainly for the kids, but definitely some aimed in my direction. So - that's it!!! I'm on this fast until AFTER Easter. Can't stand the tempation - I'm an all-or-nothing girl. It's either the WHOLE slab/box/packet or nothing at all.

I HAVE to come off at the end of April as we have some very good friends flying over on holiday, arriving mid-May. I can't spend two weeks with them sipping lemonade!!

So I have to ease off the MC and I assume two weeks will be enough to be ready to "party"!!!!!!!

Bought some extra heaters today. Still very chilly - winter has definitely set in!

So guys and gals, chins up, keep going, slug that lemonade and if you are a SWFer chug chug chug.

[skyle]

Hi Everyone,
I'm starting Day 3 of my 1st MC today. I felt surprisingly great on days 1 and 2, except last night I was away from home and ran out of lemonade, so I got a little hungry and weak. However, as soon as I got home I drank some more and immediately felt better.

I have a question about elimination: I'm still having them, but seemingly fewer each day. Is this normal? I'm doing my SWF each morning, and drinking my Smooth Move tea each night. Today I had 2 almost immediately upon waking, but none since then. I don't want these to stop. Any suggestions? Thanks!!

[Dreams]

Hi EveryOne!

MC2/Day 7

Well, today is my last day of Vacation. This cleanse is so very different than my first I am not even going to TRY the salt water flush before work tomorrow. Will drink the tea instead, which is not by choice. I'd rather do the SWF, although I hate it. But this time there is no pattern for how fast it will work, if at all!! :( So better not to take any chances with my uniform! What a disaster that would be! :)

Anyway, Day 7 blahs today. Definate de-tox day. Periods of such extreme fatigue I had to crawl in and out of bed at least 3 times so far. Crazy headache too. Took a long, hot bath with a bit of bentonite in the water for the benefit of pulling toxins out through the skin. Feels great. I'm not so cold now.

My body is playing an evil trick on me by not releasing any weight this time. I am convinced it is partly due to the fact that I did a 29 day Cleanse that ended in February. I feel like my precious brain has decided to shut down my metabolism thinking that I am going to "starve" my body again for a month! I have been talking to that brain today, trying to reassure it I have no intentions of going that long, but no change so far!

I guess if I can outlast my own brain, eventually some weight will have to move. I mean, come on. We are literally at an extreme low level of caloric intake on a daily basis here. All other factors remain the same. The same amount of exercise and daily activity and such. So it stands to reason the brain, no matter how committed, can only hold on to this fat for so long, right? I hope so!

As for the other aspects of the Cleanse, which are indeed far more important, I think all is well. I have had a release of more toxins through my skin this time. I have had continuing eliminations from the colon or intestinal buildup. Seems like the physical de-tox is running the right track.

But somehow I feel kind of down about it. I suppose its normal to "compare" one Cleanse to another, even though we all know each one will be different. Maybe after we have more than a few under our belt, we'll just quit the comparisons by default. But I can't help "comparing" this time to last.

Last time I slept like a baby! I have a profound sleep disorder and haven't been able to sleep in FIVE YEARS! On my first MC, almost from the beginning, I would really sleep at night. It was AWESOME! And it continued all the way through the fast. 29 days of pure bliss! Also, I lost weight all the way through. Not every day, which was fine. But by the end of the 29 days, I had lost 20 lbs and that was AMAZING for me. I have been issued a warning by an Endocrinologist recently that I am now standing on the threshold of Diabetes. My dear obese sister has already died from complications of Diabetes and my brother has been diagnosed and now suffers the same way. The Dr. says I have am still at a point where it could go either way and if I were to lose 49 lbs, it may just do the trick! Losing weight is tough for me though because I lost my Thyroid Gland to Grave's Disease 15 years ago. I havn't had much luck with my Thyroid medications. Have tried all the available, both Natural and Synthetic. In the past even when making HUGE efforts at weight loss, it has been minimal at best. Just a few pounds at a time, which I always manage to regain eating the sludge I had come to know as "good food". So taking off 20 lbs in a month was phenominal for me. I was so excited about that. And even though it was not the reason I embarked on my journey into the MC, it ended up being the one result I was most attached to! So this being on Day 7 and not seeing any loss is a bit disappointing.

Hope all of you are doing well! Like I said before, Day 7 blahs here. Better tomorrow maybe . . . ~ Dreams ~

[ladydee]

Good Morning ((( Dreams )))

i know how you feel, abt comparing one MC t othe other but!

(i'm rushing - gotta drive to another town in a miniit...)

But.

- Pls do not beat up yrself and do not be discouraged. i think you're right abt the brain / the slowed metabolism, etc.

- Reassess your reasons for doing the cleanse this time. If weight loss is only *one* of the reasons, then you're doing great. (i also lost weight slowly, even on the first MC, but i lost inches and have not *found them* again. Are you losing inches this time?)

- Take it easy today,. mentally and physically!!! You deserve a "light" day and regardless, you are doing it! In the end, everything will be fine. You know this right?

Gotta go; big e-hugs to ya. 8)

[LUinLA]

Hey Dreams,
Just wanted to chime in. I don't know this from experience but a lot of friends who wanted to lose considerable weight on raw came upon several plateaus which frustrated them. At the time, they didn't realize that these were critical detox points where the body was working really hard even though no weight was lost. Those who stayed the course and kept eating well, eventually had a breakthrough and lost even more weight and inches, and those who gave up because they were frustrated, well, of course they just went back to their old ways and ended up right back in their docs offices.

Hang in there! Try not to judge your body. Love your body. Go out and buy a new wonderful moisturizer and slowly massage your whole body into a softer, glowing skin. Take a short walk outside down a road you don't usually frequent and take big huge breaths that force you to stand up taller. Buy a bouquet of flowers and arrange them in a prominent place in the house that will make you smile. These are just a few ideas that help me turn around self-doubt or frustration or self-judging.

You are so strong and your body obviously wants to get better, so keep the faith.

Day 7 for me. I'm struggling as well, but I just made my second round of lemonade with limes for the first time which almost made me jump for joy. (Anyone other than you guys would think that was nuts...but simple pleasures.) The weekends are definitely harder for me than the weeks. Just so much food around. But I'm so damn close, I have to keep the faith that I can do this.

Hope all of you guys are hanging in there. Thanks for the support! I would have never made it this far without this board!

[skyle]

Hi LUinLA,
It was great to read your words of encouragement. I'm on Day 5 of my 1st MC. The weekend was hard because I went to the beach and stayed with relatives. There was lots of great food around. Smelling it and watching everyone eat was REALLY hard! But I'm still committed and hanging in there.

I have some general questions:

On Saturday, I had a lot of physical activity plus I was in the sun all day. I drank almost an entire gallon of lemonade, plus a lot of water. Is this okay, or did I drink too much lemonade?

I am doing my SWF every morning, and a lot of junk is still coming out of me. Is this normal after 5 days?

I've read the thread on mucous, but haven't noticed anything happening for me in this department. Do I need to be doing something different?

Thanks, everyone for your information and support!

[Pilar]

Greetings, Masters
I am on day -1 of MC2. That means I start tomorrow, blessed day!
Most of my preparation so far has consisted in eating all of the interesting food in my house so there won't be anything left to turn my resolve come fasting-time.
I completed my first 10-day fast this February 10-19 and the benefits were numerous. To recount them- and to remind myself why I'm doing this again:
-the obvious- my weight dropped from a rather chubby-for-me 130 to a just about perfect 114(I'm 5'4" with a small frame)
-the subtle- mental clarity and an ability to focus and concentrate my often spacey head.
-the vain- I really liked the way my skin looked after. My pores haven't been that tiny since i was a little child.
-the practical- during the time I was fasting I got a whole lot done. Not having food as an option for recreation reminded me what my real hobbies are.
All in all it was a great experience, and quite restorative.
So why am I starting again, exactly 2 months later?....further detoxing....further clarification....a few pounds creeped back on me, and psycho pms with insane cravings that I've faith a nice detox will help clear and cure.
So here we go....props to everyone on the path....if i don't post tomorrow, send out a search party, I'm probably eyeing the brisket and baby back ribs at the Whole Foods...but no this is my choice..and so we embark...set sail on the lemony seas...
Pilar

[Dreams]

End of Day 9/MC 2

Hello Everybody-

Thanks to ladydee and LuinLa for the wonderful kind words of encouragement! I so love how the support on this BB comes flowing in just at the right times! :)

I didn't post yesterday. Yesterday was a disaster for me. A heartbreaking personal event early in my work day upset me emotionally. Then the real bad news - I actually passed out on the job! Of course this sent my co-workers who know Im doing the MC into a "told you so" frenzy! You know the nay-sayers? They went wild with delight, as a matter of fact! Nothin' better than being able to say "I told you so".

So here I am lying on the floor in a very, out of the way area for 30 minutes. First of all, no one even SAW me for 30 minutes, because I knew I was going down, so I kind of crawled off into a more private place. I work in a MAJOR Airport and I was behind a secured door where no passengers could see. Three of my co-workers walked by me twice and didn't see me either! That was actually best at the time. If they had seen me, they would have had to call for paramedics and it would have blown up into a great big deal. I didn't want that. I was conscious and have been unconscious enough times to know my recovery time is about 30 minutes anyway. So I just laid there sweating profusely and riding the waves of nausea and wishing I had brought in some water before I ended up on the floor back there.

I can't tell you why I got so ill for certain, but I can give you a few clues - I have had trouble with the Cayenne Pepper during the cleanse. I had read here recently where someone said she and some of her friends use the capsules while doing the MC and have great results, even in spite of the information that says the gel cap itself requires "digestion". She had said she can actually get in a lot more Cayenne in a day this way, and that she has always had great results. So I decided to try this. I started on the capsules about 3 days into the cleanse. I was thrilled! At first. Then I got to where I was having extremely, incredibly painful burning sensations both in the stomach and the esophogus. I would then drink another 20 oz of water or lemonade and the burning would stop! Perfect! I thought. But as time went on, of course I could see an increase in eliminations and mucous being released, and so I bought into the "more is better" thing. I began increasing the number of capsules I took until I was up to 3 caps with each lemonade! Wow! Really getting in much more pepper now! I wasn't cold anymore. Was seeing much more productive eliminations! Great!

[Dreams]

continued. . .

So anyway, yesterday on my lunch break, I drank lots of lemonade with 4 pepper capsules. When it was time to go back to my gate, I was fine. By the time I got there however, the burning had started. I noticed something different about the burning this time. It felt as though maybe the capsules had not actually disolved in my stomach, if thats possible. I literally felt as if my small intestine was on fire. The sensation was excrutiating, but I had a bottle of water out there. It didn't work.

I was working a live flight at the time and we absolutely can not leave the gate for an hour. We can only leave the gate after an aircraft has been dispatched and has taxied away from the building. About 30 mins into working the flight, with 150 passengers, I felt deadly ill. It was obvious I had to go to the bathroom. I couldn't leave. It was obvious both my bowel and my bladder were about to explode. I couldn't leave. It was obvious my gut was on fire and I was in trouble. My right kidney felt like it was floating up out of its usual spot and that really scared me. I called for support on the gate, but the supervisor was tied up and my lead agent isn't real good about keeping in touch, so I couldn't find him. We can NOT MISS A DEADLINE. Our deadline is flight departure time. We had a hundred issues on that flight and we are so brainwashed to go down with the ship, that is exactly what I did.

I stood there with my gut wrenching, and churning, and my bowel screaming for relief. The burning sensation all the while building in intensity. The agent I was working with offered to go down and close the door on the plane at the end so I was (barely) to walk down the concourse to the restroom. That didn't go very well actually. But I knew I had little time to get back to my gate to verify the flight had left on time. When I did, there was a problem with the plane and they had been calling me on the phone. No answer of course. The painful burning, still increasing and I began to sweat and get nauseated. That was it. I knew I was about to lose consciousness, so I went looking for privacy. Probably not a GREAT idea, but I thought it was the right thing at the time. I knew the other agent would be coming back up the jetway in a few minutes anyway. I would obviously be seen and assisted if I did pass out, right? No.

[Dreams]

Continued -

Sorry about the long story. Let me cut it short and get to the real issue. I did lose consciousness for a short time and I was not seen. I was able to lie awake there on the floor for 30 minutes to recover from the faintness. The burning area in my gut actually feels like an injury today. Like a real burn would feel. I am not normally considered a stupid person. I am no genius, mind you, but I am not stupid. :)

That all happened yesterday. I left early from work and went home where I could freely use the bathroom when needed and got some sleep. I had no more episodes of feeling faint. There is definately some residual injury internally, though. Mild today compared to yesterday, but still evident.

Today is Day 9. I have had multitudes of eliminations today and am all of a sudden at a 10 pound weight loss! I feel perfectly fine now but my family is dead set on me ending immediately. Ron is saying if I ever do this again, he will give me the "MC or Me" ultimatum! :(

I went out today and bought my beautiful Texas Ruby Red grapefruit to break after my Day 10 tomorrow. But I don't really want to now. I guess I will, but I'd rather just continue on to the end of the coming week. I understand people being upset. I even understand the reactions of the funny people I work with being delighted because they now feel validated in saying "You're starving yourself". But I just don't feel this cleanse is completed yet.

So I'm kind of conflicted tonight. Ron wants me to break tomorrow with the grapefruit juice. I'm thinking go ahead and finish my 10 days. We'll see. Hmmmm. After all this time not really seing much weight loss, the new reading on the scale doesn't help much in me wanting to stop now. I do not want this to be about weight loss only, though. So I am willing to end after 10, I guess. Still, there is something impressing me that this cleanse is not completed. Can't put it into words exactly.

So - end of Day 9 and all is well now. Drinking my tea and getting ready for bed.

I want you guys all to know I told you this story in hopes it might help someone else. Don't do anything extreme like I did trying to make the MC work better or faster or whatever. The MC is what it is. It is a perfect blend of ingredients just the way it is written. Honor your bodies and take things slowly and as they come. I know this whole story may sound absurd to some of you, but I share it with sincerity. I really do. Its OK to admit our downfalls or our shortcomings. A lot of times, it really does help someone else clarify something for themselves.

Good night. ~ Dreams ~

[LUinLA]

Thanks for sharing your story, Dreams. I'm so glad you're alright and self-aware enough to take care of yourself. (Though next time maybe a cell phone call to someone to tell them where you are lying...???) I think it's fascinating that afterward you had such dramatic weight loss. Clearly a major detoxing event.

I too am struggling with feeling like I want to continue the cleanse, like I haven't detoxed enough since my tongue is still coated, or that somehow I haven't lost as much weight as I should. Why is it always about weight? So annoying. I wish I could just get over that and see that I've made progress by how great I feel and by getting whatever toxins I have released out. But it's never that simple.

To further make my point, I gained 2 lbs over the weekend. Which did not make me happy especially since I had so much temptation all weekend long that I avoided like the plague. I guess because I had consistent weightloss the first half of the cleanse I just thought I'd double that weightloss by the end. No dice.

I think normally I'd stay on a couple more days but I'm backing up against an out of town trip and I want to properly wean off the fast before I go lest I be tempted to break with a burrito and margarita!

Anyway, just sharing my mixed feelings. Very strange to think after 9 days of eating that I'd be tempted to go longer. I don't even recognize myself!

Good luck everyone. Feel better, Dreams!

[ballyhoo]

Hi everyone.
Haven't written for a few days. Feeling sorry for myself until I came on board and checked out what Dreams has been going through. Puts it all in perspective, doesn't it?

Dreams, I hope you have managed to do whatever is best for you - only you can know what is going on within. I wish you all the best for whatever decsision you have made.

I seem to be going off the rails. I'm at the start of Day 21, which is three weeks. I am very happy I have managed to do this for so long, but had hoped to carry on for a while longer. . . .

The last two days I have had another eruption on my face and have a HUGE pimple. I have also had two days of rage. And I really mean rage. I shouted - perhaps screamed - at my kids two days ago, just because their bedrooms were untidy. Totally over the top. Then last night one of them came through to our bedroom and crawled ito bed with me and fidgetted for about an hour. So more shouting. Poor kid was just so excited as he is going to play with a new friend today.

Must be more detox symptoms, but why so late in the program? Never heard of this rage, nor the breakout so late. And no, I'm not due my monthlies for another two weeks.

Have also been dreaming about eating again and actually put a chip in my mouth, chewed it and spat it out.

Is this the end? Aaaaaarghhhh.

So scared to stop. Don't want to put weight on again. Fed up.

HELP

[ballyhoo]

It's me again . . saga two . . . .

Forgot to add that I have had a blocked ear for two days. Really horrible. Not sore, just gets blocked. Must be toxins, but I don;t know how to deal with it.

Just getting kids ready for school and yes, I'm shouting again. I feel slightly dizzy today and really faint. Off to have some lemonade.

Anyone with these strange symptoms so far on into the cleanse ??? - help please.

[Res]

Wow this thing is taking a long time to load! :(

Hellllllllllloooooooooo Lemonheads!! ;) Lots of new faces! http://www.kurts-smilies.de/wink2.gif

I hope everyone is hanging in there and making up their minds to GO ALL THE WAY!! :)

I'll be joining up the Friday after Easter for MC 7. I just wanted to pop in to say, "Hello" and Love you all!!

*Smooches,
~Res ;)

[mycroftxxx]

Forgot to add that I have had a blocked ear for two days. Really horrible. Not sore, just gets blocked. Must be toxins, but I don;t know how to deal with it.



ever try ear candling? you stick a special candle in your ear and it heats up and removes all the crap stuck in your ear out. Do a google search for it. I've been wanting to try it for 5-6 years now.


;D RES!!! hurrah!!! http://www.smileys.ws/smls/music/00000005.gif


Guess who's back, back again!

Res is back! Tell a friend!

Da nah nah nah nuh!!

http://www.smileys.ws/smls/music/00000002.gif