2012: What Day Are You On and How Are You Doing?

[lyleriggs]

Thanks for your encouragement.

[lyleriggs]

For those of you suffering from headaches, you have my sympathies. You may want to considering dramatically increasing your water consumption. I have suffered with headaches all of my life. About 10 years ago the pain became debilitating. I tried everything that anyone suggested. I finally quick taking all medicines about a year ago and started feeling much better. About two months ago, I increased my water intake and started feeling even better. I drink a gallon and a half every day. I was very worried about having headaches as detox symptoms. I have had occasional headaches, but I have not had debilitating pain like I was worried about. When I have had pain, I drink more water and it seems to help. I am convinced that my water consumption is a big reason I am not experience that kind of intense pain.

[Honey]

For those of you who have headaches, I just came across this article I thot u might like reading -- how headaches=lack of water.

Even Mild Dehydration May Cause Emotional, Physical Problems

Denise Mann, Medscape, January 20, 2012
Even mild dehydration may affect our moods and ability to concentrate.

In a new study of 25 healthy women, mild dehydration dampened moods, increased fatigue, and led to headaches.

The women in the study were aged 23, on average. They were neither athletes nor couch potatoes. Women participated in three experiments separated by 28 days. In two of these, dehydration was induced via walking on a treadmill with or without a diuretic pill. These pills encourage urination, and can lead to dehydration.

The women were given a battery of tests measuring their concentration, memory, and mood when they were dehydrated and when they were not.

Overall, women’s mental ability was not affected by mild dehydration. But they did have an increase in perception of task difficulty and lower concentration.

But “women were more fatigued and this was true during mild exercise and when sitting at a computer,” says researcher Lawrence E. Armstrong, PhD. He is a professor of environmental and exercise physiology at the University of Connecticut’s Human Performance Laboratory in Storrs, Conn.

The message is clear, he says: “We should focus on hydration and continue to drink during meals and when we are not at meals.”

You are often already dehydrated once you become thirsty, but subtle cues like a headache and/or fatigue can be your body’s way of telling you to drink more water, Armstrong says.

The new study should serve as a reminder for healthy, young women who frequently exercise to drink water, says Robert Glatter, MD. He is an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

“Consume moderate quantities of water both during and after exercise in order to avoid mild dehydration, which may lead to headaches, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating,” he says in an email. “Just a small change in state of hydration was enough to affect mood, ability to concentrate, and lead to development of headaches.”

--- Honey

[SweetLemons]

Well I finished 14 days on the 23rd, but I feel I want to go longer, so after a couple of days of juicing tomorrow is my new day 1 Will toast with a smooth move here in a while before bed

[tatina36]

DAY 11: COMPLETE!!!
Hey all i'm on my last day of the cleanse! feeling pretty good about it. I've noticed good changes all over! and i feel a whole lot better about myself. I'm really surprised that i was able to hold on this long but goes to show we have more will power than we think. I lost about 8-9 lbs which is pretty good.
I did have one issue though, lately i've started having muscle cramps in my calfs which for me comes about when there is a lack of potassium in my diet. This is one of the reason's i'm choosing to stop the cleanse now instead of continuing.
But apart from that everything is good. I'm going to take it easy when i break the cleanse and start eating healthy home cooked meals from now on.!!
Good Luck to the rest of you still doing it. I know if i was able to do it you all definitely can!!!

[syntaxiss]

Day #18 Feeling like superman, best cleanse ever, no headaches, no problems, loss of 20lbs and working out twice daily, sauna as well each day, I am really pleased with this years cleanse, the year of the Dragon is roaring loudly already!

[CleanerMe]

Day #20 -- I feel good things are very normal/average. My tongue still has the yucky stuff on it and while I'm not done with my cleanse quite yet, I don't think I will wait for it to clear to pink before I declare myself finished.

This is my first cleanse and I have read the tongue does not always go pink so I'm not going to kill myself waiting for that. I do plan to finish the month though so that is at least 5 more days, then at least 3 with the OJ and then 2-3 of veggie soup...

Have not weighed myself since the 18-day mark and don't plan to until my last day. Weight loss has been very slow for me, probably because I do not have as much to lose as some other posters here.

I am 5'6" and my starting weight was 144 - my recent weight was 135 with at least 2" lost around my waist, so that's nice.

My skin looks amazing and I have increased my workout capacity (I can follow my classes better than a few weeks ago).

I pee every 20 minutes and the SWF takes me a couple hours to pass. I am a prisoner in my own home.

[CleanerMe]

OH YES ONE THING!!

I have been getting Restless Leg Syndrome when I fall asleep at night which I generally do not ever get (my ex-boyfriend used to, so I know what it is).

I think it is the effect of the MC somehow since this has never been an issue for me before (maybe once or twice but never every night).
Just an FYI for anyone else who may be experiencing this (yes still getting on day 20).

[CleanerMe]

Yes I am following everything. The only time I skip the SWF or tea is if I have an appointment in the morning.

[johnnyxhayes]

My third master cleanse, and one which I need more than I needed any of the others.

This one has been a long time coming. Over the past 6 months, I've had numerous failed attempts. And also over the last 6 months, I've gained weight of epic proportions, partook in recreational substances, drank tons of liquor and wine, and lived very, very irresponsibly.

What happened 6 months ago? I was released from the military (voluntary, I assure you-- it was my own idea to launch the separation and had to convince them that I had authentic reasons for my actions) and quickly thereafter, though it began a few months before I left officially, I delved into a very deep depression, characterized by a "screw it all" attitude and binge eating, no exercise, no sunlight, and no positive thinking.

Since that time, though I've attained my Associate's Degree, and will be graduating with my Bachelor's with the year, I am physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ill.

My blood pressure is through the roof.

My stomach protrudes further than it has in over 5 years (when I made a very dramatic and successful change in lifestyle).

My skin leaks the oils of convenient foods, which have provided me comfort from the ails of anxiety and sadness, but lack ANY nutritional value or content.

I have absolutely no energy, and have relied on terribly diet pills and coffee to jump start me very morning.

My mind is rattled with worries, particularly every time I look at myself in the mirror, or go to my dresser to dress myself after a shower. I cannot fit any of the clothes I wore 6 months ago.

My heart grieves with sadness and fear when I recount the incidents of the past. And again, when I look into the mirror.

And then, when this sadness and worry prevails over any efforts to think positively or constructively, I do what comforts me-- I eat. (And I'm not talking about celery sticks, but for the sake of fellow fasters, I will not describe my choice of "comforts". I think we all have the idea.)


My failed attempts over the past 6 months were primarily due to not properly preparing myself for the fast-- mentally and emotionally. The challenge is somewhat physical, such as dealing with the numerous detox symptoms, but mostly, the challenge is mental: believing in yourself, fighting the instincts which you have created (the ones which lead you to eat, or drink alcohol, or do drugs, etc, etc, etc, when you are feeling down or anxious), staying true to your causes, and remembering your original intentions, and those moments of inspiration, those "This is it!!!" moments, those "I've had it!" moments, those "No more. Something's got to change!" moments.

Well, my friends--- something's got to change. And I think this is why we are all here.

I attempted the fast again late last week, but failed after nearly two days. I had a very, very terrible headache, and after a bit of research, learned that it may had been a caffeine withdrawal symptom. I wasn't prepared for it, as I hadn't realized that I drank so much caffeine so regularly. I wasn't hungry, but the thought of breaking the fast for reasons of "caffeine withdrawal", "I need food in my stomach in order to drink a bit of coffee and take an ibuprofen" was immediately comforting.

Since then, I've cut my coffee intake in half every day, and yesterday, switched entirely to cups of green tea, and have been taking Vitamin B12 supplements.

But why is it so hard for me to do it this time? I begin a day, and hours later, I develop a craving for a particular type of food, and I begin to try rationalizing it mentally until I eventually justify breaking goals I've set for myself. I get angry with myself because I KNOW I can do it. I've done it a few times before- 10 days, 14 days, 10 days (just last April). And I was even cleansing while I was still in the military, and waking up at 5am every morning and being forced to work out, and dealing with 12 hour days or stressful activities and the demands of superiors full of threats.

My mantra that has led me to fail in my previous attempts have been: "I'll do it tomorrow". "I'll do it tomorrow." "Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow."

Well, I've "tomorrowed" for far too long, and it's 6 months, and 60 pounds later.

It's time, and it's the middle of day one. No headaches. No "actual" hunger. Senna tea last night, and a diet free of processed foods or meat for the latter half of yesterday. The salt water flush this morning (one of my most successful ones, actually).

But I'm already craving. And I fought it off with a glass of the lemonade (with extra cayenne pepper) and by writing this post to you all.

And strangely, after defeating the craving, I find myself defeating "other" ways of spending my time, almost as if I'm telling myself: 'I'm not going to eat, so I'm going to intentionally feel like crap."

It's a pattern, a cycle, a vicious one, of self-defeating thoughts and behaviors.

I CAN do this, and I CAN succeed in my endeavors. WE ALL CAN.

Good luck to you all. You have all inspired me greatly.