2010: What day are you on and how are you doing?

[Ahuahu]

OH MY GOD!!!!! I just realized I am half way through. I thought I was on day 19, but it is day 20 of 40!!!!! GOOD NEWS!! I still can't believe I am feeling so great. I keep analyzing what I am doing to make sure I am doing everything right. Maybe because this is my third one this year. Trust me, I am not complaining. I have the funniest story to tell.

I went to Sunflower Market today to get some more lemons, limes and agave nectar. I was talking to an associate in the herbal/vitamin section and he said he knew all about the Master Cleanse. I was asking him about light vs amber agave nectar. He said he was not aware that you can use agave nectar, ONLY the maple syrup. (he said it as if I didn't know what I was talking about) So I asked him if he has ever done the Master Cleanse. His response was yes once, but I use the Master Cleanse kit. Master Cleanse Kit?? What is that?? He takes me to the shelf and there IS a Master Cleanse kit. WHO KNEW!! IT WAS A POWDER FORMULA!!!!! WHAT THE......!!!!! I asked him why would you use powder when you can use the real things. OK here is the funny part. He said it is the real thing, all natural and organic. I almost peed on the floor. I said don't forget to mention it is processed. He didn't like that I said that; so I arrogantly walked away. That cracked me up so much: POWDER vs REAL LEMONS AND MAPLE SYRUP!!!!!

One more story to tell on will power.

Green Valley Ranch Hotel and Casino comped us a free room for one night and we took advantage. I love being a local in Vegas. Walking through the Casino and passing all the wonderful restaurants was invigorating and annoying. You name it I smelled it. We also parked, unknowingly, by the entrance at the food court. Resisting the mini bar and snack table in our room was hard work too. All the food around me and the smells made me want to eat RIGHT THEN!! I can't decide if watching people eat is worse than constantly smelling food for an extended period of time. Thank God I was able to withstand. I drank my lemonade and drank my tea in the wonderfully huge tub, while my husband ate FOOD and watched football. The room was beautiful with an awesome bathroom. Coming to Vegas check out Green Valley Ranch. Why does food have to smell so wonderful and why does the smell linger when the food is gone.

I survived 2 tests in two days. I guess I can't quit now. 20 down and 20 to go. Everyone have a blessed night tonight and a wonderful day tomorrow.

You go, sister! Great job on the first 20 days! You are an inspiration to us all. So much of my strength is derived from the comments and posts on this BB, many of which are from you! Thank you so much for that.

That's funny about the Master Cleanse Kit. I actually had a clerk at a health food store recommend that to me. I was explaining the challenge of carrying what I needed around while out and about recruiting for my store for 8 hours a day. Thank goodness I had already read Peter and Stanley's books, because it was so tempting to turn to the convenience of a powder! Logically, I couldn't understand how anyone who HAD read Burroughs' work could think that a powder concentrate would be as effective as the real thing. I am chuckling to myself thinking about the "expert" that you encountered. What a dope! Hopefully he doesn't steer too many people that way!

It's so exciting to see all of the new people on the board! Welcome to everyone, Cybergame13 and nzinghashakur! Happy to have you here and looking forward to getting to know you!

I am on Day 19, and I was planning for 21. I am considering ending tomorrow (Day 20) and using Friday as a juice day. I'm getting REALLY antsy for my veggie soup and I don't feel like I'm still reaping all the cleanse benefits...and then again, the whole "cycle" theory of every 7 days makes me wonder if I'm cheating myself by ending before my 3 cycle is over. Thoughts?

[dollfacegreene]

day 3 of 10. this is my 8th time to do the master cleanse but it's been about 4 years since my last. also, i wasn't a smoker last time i did the cleanse and now i am, which sucks. i am committed to quitting but it's been a rough three days. i smoked 2 cigs the first day, 3 yesterday and had 2 so far today. with that said, i smoked a pack a day for the last 4 years so i don't care what you say, i am patting myself on the back for small accomplishments! but it's time. by the end of this 10 days i wanna be done! energy is good. usually hardcore workouter but i don't want to overdo it so i've just been on my yoga and meditation for the fast. i have to watch myself because i find myself clenching my jaw up from the habit of wanting to chew and then i get sore.

question: in the past i've made my whole batch for the day in the morning but after doing some research i decided to do the concentrate of lemon juice and maple syrup and then just add water and cayenne as i go. for 8 cups a day i always use 1 cup (16tbsp) lemon juice and 1/2 cup (8tbsp) maple syrup. i reduce the amount of maple syrup from one cup (16tbsp) to 1/2 cup (8tbsp) because it's just too sweet for me and the book says that it's ok to reduce. in the past when i mixed it all together it was all good, but not that i'm doing the concentrate i actually get less than 8 cups worth of concentrate (at 4 tbsp concentrate per cup) because of the 1/2 cups maple syrup that's missing. i end up with about 6 cups worth of concentrate. so, can i just add more lemons to even it out? i hope that makes sense :-/ i'm asking because i've always followed very strictly and i want to make sure i'm still accurate.

thanks!!

Welcome aboard nzinghashaku!!! Wow you really have a challenge going, with quiting smoking. You are truly on your way to your goal, based on your attitude and progress so far. I totally agree with you about small accomplishments. Small accomplishments lead to Giant Achievements. So I am patting your back as well. I am a hardcore fitness buff also and still do my usual 2-3 hours 5 days a week. It makes me feel better, especially when I do stretching and yoga, glad to see that in your routine too.

I understand what you are saying. I usually make 3-4 servings at a time for morning and afternoon and then make 2-3 more for the evening, 6 servings a day. I mix it all at once, because I like the spicier effects. You would NOT add more lemon juice. If you were making each individual serving on its own, your serving size would be 1TBSP less with no additions. So when you prepare each serving, you should be adding 3 TBSP of the concentrate to 8oz of water. When you are mixing so much at one time it seems like a lot less. According to Dr Burroughs book, you NEVER want to increase the amount of lemon juice. If you feel you are not getting enough from the 8 servings with the reduced MS, you may want to add another serving. I have a question though, when you say concentrate you are not referring to the lemon juice concentrate you buy in the store, correct? I think you mean the lemon juice (fresh squeezed) and maple syrup together as concentrate. I just want to make sure you are not using the store bought lemon juice. I hope this answers your question.

Again welcome. Time is going to fly by before you know it and you will be down to 0 cigarettes a day. I will be praying for you. This is day 21 of 40 on my 11th cleanse, so I am glad to have you with me for the next few days. Stay strong and keep on trucking.

[dollfacegreene]

You go, sister! Great job on the first 20 days! You are an inspiration to us all. So much of my strength is derived from the comments and posts on this BB, many of which are from you! Thank you so much for that.

That's funny about the Master Cleanse Kit. I actually had a clerk at a health food store recommend that to me. I was explaining the challenge of carrying what I needed around while out and about recruiting for my store for 8 hours a day. Thank goodness I had already read Peter and Stanley's books, because it was so tempting to turn to the convenience of a powder! Logically, I couldn't understand how anyone who HAD read Burroughs' work could think that a powder concentrate would be as effective as the real thing. I am chuckling to myself thinking about the "expert" that you encountered. What a dope! Hopefully he doesn't steer too many people that way!

It's so exciting to see all of the new people on the board! Welcome to everyone, Cybergame13 and nzinghashakur! Happy to have you here and looking forward to getting to know you!

I am on Day 19, and I was planning for 21. I am considering ending tomorrow (Day 20) and using Friday as a juice day. I'm getting REALLY antsy for my veggie soup and I don't feel like I'm still reaping all the cleanse benefits...and then again, the whole "cycle" theory of every 7 days makes me wonder if I'm cheating myself by ending before my 3 cycle is over. Thoughts?

It is a shame that so many people are misguided by "experts" that don't have a clue. Parrot selling. LOL I am so glad I have been able to help you. I was just returning the favor. YOU keep pushing forward no matter what and that is inspiring.

So those veggies are calling your name in the most seductive way, huh? Totally expected, the finish line is almost here. One question, would you hate yourself and feel like you let yourself down if you stopped a day earlier? If not, I can smell the orange juice from here. If yes, what is one more day? When you wake up in the morning you will know whether to keep going or stop. ONE MORE DAY, gone before you know it. YOUR DECISION should give you NO REGRETS!!

btw, glad you didn't go for the powder.

[40 Day Dreamer]

There is something about fullfilling a goal. I believe everytime you fudge a little it weakens your resolve. I say be strong one more day!!!
I obsess about my 40 day since I started OJ on day 40. I have this thing about honesty, so even tho I had several days of juice I can only say 39 MC. It sucks!
I am gearing up for a 40 to 50 day and I am having to work on my will power big time and I am not going to fudge anymore. I think I need a different word lol fudge needs to not be in my vocabulary...
Well you all have been so inspiring. I have been reading your posts to get my strength back and I have lost 11 ilbs so I feel like my will power is there. I am now getting myself psyched to do the SWF for I know that is key to my success. Also I have applied for a transfer since my current job limits access to frequent potty breaks. I'm turning 50 on the 22nd of this month so soon after all the birtday cake as a present to myself I want to do at least a 40 day then if on that day i feel I can add the 10 I will just for the icing lol.

[bethieboo]

Okay, I regret to inform you that I am no longer cleansing I feel that I owe everyone an explanation. Day 5 was a rough day, and I could only stomach the 1 1/2 drinks without gagging. I wasn't HUNGRY, but I could tell that my energy was flagging without the drinks. But I chalked it up to a bad day, and decided to start fresh yesterday. So yesterday morning, I made my lemonade to drink on the way to class. I managed a few sips, but it was still making me gag. I don't think it was a mental thing either- mentally, I was ALL in for this cleanse. Needless to say, 3 sips of lemonade in one day is not sufficient to be a functional human being. By the end of my second class, I felt so dizzy and lightheaded that I nearly collapsed on the stairs. Again, I tried to drink the lemonade, only to gag some more. It was at this point I had to seriously rethink everything- I'd worked so hard to get to that point, it seemed a shame to waste all of my efforts.

I hope you'll be a little encouraged to hear that I am still off of solid food- today was grapefruit juice (only because I cannot find good organic oranges where I live), and I intend to move forward with a juice fast. I've been reading a lot about juice fasting, and how it is another effective way to cleanse and detox the body (albeit slightly more gradual than the MC). Since I have a good juicer, the plan is to continue for a few weeks on only fresh, raw organic fruit and veggie juices. It's not the same as the MC, but I am not giving up the detox yet- I hope you all can forgive me. Everyone on this board, especially dollfacegreen, have given me so much support. Your willpower is truly inspiring, and I wish you all the best of luck- you are amazing people!!!

[40 Day Dreamer]

Hey your still detoxing just at a lower rate. Sounds like your taking care of yourself.
If you want to compare me, I went back into bad eating and totalling gave up. Your still in the game.
Which you make a good example of staying in there safely. Thanks for sharing, which is another good thing about you, your keeping your support base intact while toughing out the hard phase.

[dollfacegreene]

Okay, I regret to inform you that I am no longer cleansing I feel that I owe everyone an explanation. Day 5 was a rough day, and I could only stomach the 1 1/2 drinks without gagging. I wasn't HUNGRY, but I could tell that my energy was flagging without the drinks. But I chalked it up to a bad day, and decided to start fresh yesterday. So yesterday morning, I made my lemonade to drink on the way to class. I managed a few sips, but it was still making me gag. I don't think it was a mental thing either- mentally, I was ALL in for this cleanse. Needless to say, 3 sips of lemonade in one day is not sufficient to be a functional human being. By the end of my second class, I felt so dizzy and lightheaded that I nearly collapsed on the stairs. Again, I tried to drink the lemonade, only to gag some more. It was at this point I had to seriously rethink everything- I'd worked so hard to get to that point, it seemed a shame to waste all of my efforts.

I hope you'll be a little encouraged to hear that I am still off of solid food- today was grapefruit juice (only because I cannot find good organic oranges where I live), and I intend to move forward with a juice fast. I've been reading a lot about juice fasting, and how it is another effective way to cleanse and detox the body (albeit slightly more gradual than the MC). Since I have a good juicer, the plan is to continue for a few weeks on only fresh, raw organic fruit and veggie juices. It's not the same as the MC, but I am not giving up the detox yet- I hope you all can forgive me. Everyone on this board, especially dollfacegreen, have given me so much support. Your willpower is truly inspiring, and I wish you all the best of luck- you are amazing people!!!

Bethieboo, there is nothing to forgive you for. You gave it all you had and that is all I expect. I am a firm believer that "everything is not for everyone all the time". Whenever you give something your all, whether you reach your goal or not, you have not failed. I am sure this will not be the last time you give the MC a try. As long as we are still alive, we ALWAYS have a second chance. Since you are still focusing on doing something to better your health, I would say that is not failure. I am so proud of your efforts and you should be also. It is when we don't listen to the warnings our bodies give us, that we get in trouble. There are a lot of people who give up totally and go back to bad habits, YOU my friend, are finding an alternative and staying on track. PROUD OF YOU!! So glad we had the chance to cleanse together, maybe again in January. Btw, the first time I did the MC I had to stop at 8 days because I felt so weak, lightheaded and nauseous. Now I am on my 11th cleanse going for 40 days for the first time. God bless you Bethieboo. Stay focused and stay strong.

[dollfacegreene]

There is something about fullfilling a goal. I believe everytime you fudge a little it weakens your resolve. I say be strong one more day!!!
I obsess about my 40 day since I started OJ on day 40. I have this thing about honesty, so even tho I had several days of juice I can only say 39 MC. It sucks!
I am gearing up for a 40 to 50 day and I am having to work on my will power big time and I am not going to fudge anymore. I think I need a different word lol fudge needs to not be in my vocabulary...
Well you all have been so inspiring. I have been reading your posts to get my strength back and I have lost 11 ilbs so I feel like my will power is there. I am now getting myself psyched to do the SWF for I know that is key to my success. Also I have applied for a transfer since my current job limits access to frequent potty breaks. I'm turning 50 on the 22nd of this month so soon after all the birtday cake as a present to myself I want to do at least a 40 day then if on that day i feel I can add the 10 I will just for the icing lol.

Welcome 40 Day Dreamer. LOL, yeah fudge is a hard word to use when you can't have any. I am a little confused though, are you cleansing now or starting after your birthday. Awesome goal, 40 days, I am finally more than halfway to my first 40 days.

[40 Day Dreamer]

After my birthday. Too many ppl want to take me to eat. lol But I was looking at some old BB and someone was talking about minerals, so I thought while preparing for the cleanse I will do some green smoothies in between the meals. Just to be sure of my reserves.
Goal start date being Sept.24th.
Congrats on the 40 days I've been reading your posts! You have really inspired me. I hope you continue to post in your open way so I can safely follow... Thank-you

[dollfacegreene]

After my birthday. Too many ppl want to take me to eat. lol But I was looking at some old BB and someone was talking about minerals, so I thought while preparing for the cleanse I will do some green smoothies in between the meals. Just to be sure of my reserves.
Goal start date being Sept.24th.
Congrats on the 40 days I've been reading your posts! You have really inspired me. I hope you continue to post in your open way so I can safely follow... Thank-you

Last year I thought it would be a good idea as my 53th birthday gift to myself, to cleanse for the whole month of August. So many friends wanted to take me out to eat at some point throughout the month and turning down all those outings to my favorite places (I live in Vegas, need I say more) convinced me that for my 54th birthday I was going to do it in September. So here I am and feeling much better for it. You are definitely setting yourself up for success!!! I am so glad to see you do the prep work involved beforehand also. Since a lot of the relationship we have with food is mental and emotional, we have to get our minds right to do this. I do the cleanse 3 times a year and I find that it is the only way I can maintain a higher level of commitment and focus.

Can I also suggest that you cut red meat/meat, caffeine, sugar, processed foods and dairy also during your prep days? Those are the things you will either have withdrawal from or clog you up and take more time to break down in your flushes.

My end date is October 4, so I am glad we will be here together to support one another. I am raising my SWF bottle to you and the 24th. Have a happy birthday on the 22nd.