day 7 complete, my first "solid" meal

this afternoon marked seven days of the master cleanse juice fast/cleanse/diet/whatever. seven days was my original goal, although early on i was considering stretching it to ten, as that was the recommended minimum. i woke up today feeling really good, without the inclination to laze around in bed for very long. last night i was pretty excited about the idea of making soup today. now that i've made and consumed a bit of the soup (which was pretty damn good by the way), everything seems a little less exciting. my food fantasies were really vivid on days 6 and 7, which coincidentally were also the hardest days for me. my fantasies included all the places i wanted to go eat (new and old favorites) and what i was going to eat for our celebratory dinner.

as side note, sunset and i went out last night and she got a glass of wine. i had a sip and it tasted really strange. i can't really explain how, but maybe if you drank some orange juice and then had a sip of wine, that would be a similar experience.

a few things about me
i'm young (around 30)
i'm relatively active (2 yoga classes a week)
i'm healthy, always have been
i'm relatively thin, although i had a pretty small "gut" to start with

where i'm at now
earlier today i felt really thin and light. it's definitely a different feeling to have your insides full. i was noticing how satisfying it is to fill my insides while i was enjoying a second bowl of thick soup today. my belly feels more "in the way" than it has in a while.

speaking of thin, i've definitely lost weight on this fast/cleanse/diet. i'm not sure how much, as i don't have a scale, but i would assume 5 pounds, maybe a bit more. i realized a day or so ago that i could pull my jeans off *with* my belt on in it's usual position. so now my somewhat form-fitting jeans feel like they're falling off a bit. i don't mind so much, but i'm not sure how long that will last as i ease back into my regular omivorian diet.

appreciation
one of my reasons for trying this "cleanse" was because i felt like i was losing some of my appreciation for food. last night i felt that appreciation in spades, which was refreshing. now that i've eaten a bit, i wish i had the same overwhelming appreciation that i felt last night.

activity during
i definitely found i could function as usual at work and with my regular excersize schedule. my caffeine intake was pretty moderate before starting, and i didn't have big issues with cravings there. all of us quit caffeine while on the cleanse, and sunset and scott had a more difficult time with this, although they're much bigger caffeine addicts than me. (do note, however, that i love coffee as much as either of them ;)

my experience
out of everybody, i seemed to have the most even-keel experience. the most dramatic day for me was thursday (day 6), which wasn't helped by my mistake with the "internal salt water bath" (see below). i think i was looking for something dramatic at this point, as the boredom/monotony of it all had really started to set in. sunset and i discussed early on that this would be a real issue for both of us.

would i do it again?
i would definitely consider it. i think it's a healthy way to clear out your body, get things in perspective, and loose a few pounds in the process. i'd also be interested in looking into vegetable broth alternative, as i'm very much a savory person, so i think that might be easier for me to sustain (especially if there was some variety).

other stuff
there's so much to tell. everyone has their own experience and up-and-downs. if you are considering the master cleanse, i would suggest that you commit to at least 3 days, and try to end on an "up" day. i still had solids in my system before day 3, so i consider that the beginning of being "cleared out".

i think most of us described something resembling a sore throat early on (day 3 or before). it might have been related to our citrusy drink, but for me it was pretty subtle. i'm sure it's not indicative of a real problem.

be prepared for a heightened sense of smell! this was noticeable to me early on, but seemed more so as i progressed.

at least one person at work asked me about protein on the fast, and i know scott has voiced concerns about the lack of protein in this diet. i am particularly sensitive to protein in my regular diet. i find that when i don't have a good balance, especially first thing in the day, i get really sleepy after i eat. however, on this diet i found that my body was able to adjust pretty well.

mixed feelings coming off
i'm definitely looking forward getting back to my normal flexible diet, but i do feel surprisingly mixed now that i've transitioned off the cleanse. that might have something to do with wondering what would have been in store for me on day 8, 9, and 10.

i think all of us have been more conscious about what we're putting into our bodies which is good. it will be interesting to see how this affects our omnivorious diets.

that's about all i have in me for right now. now i'm going to contemplate when i'll have my first post-cleanse espresso ;)

approaching day 7, the final stretch

well, jess and scott are off the fast/cleanse and sunset is starting to transition off. props to everyone for making it as far as they did, especially sunset.

internal salt water bathing!
i just downed a quart of salt water for my "internal salt water bath", so i may have to run (literally) before this post is over. i realized i accidently made the mixture yesterday with 1/2 the recommended salt (1 t/quart) which would probably explain why the initial effects were not that dramatic, whereas the later effects were very unpleasant. basically, i had one of the worse toilet experiences of my life. while on the toilet, i felt very uncomfortable (cramps), then something clicked in my head and i started to feel very uneasy and light-headed. mind you, i'm at the office. i'm pretty sure it was a mental thing, but it was extremely unpleasant. get it? unpleasant. anyway, i kinda wanted to do it again today to prove that it's not a big deal. so here i am.

at the office. yeah.

day 5.5/6
after i drank the salt water yesterday and before things got really "unpleasant", i had my worse cravings to date. it may be because i was expecting something dramatic to happen with the salt water and nothing had come (almost two hours later). anyway, i had a tiny jar of marmite on my desk that i'd added a little water to loosen the remaining bit. i dipped my finger in there an tasted it-- bad idea. i did that until the watery marmite was finished. i chatted with sunset and started questioning how much longer i wanted to continue. shortly after that i had the experience described above.

in short, yesterday was the toughest day so far. i went to yoga class as usual (my third for the week) and was pretty exhausted afterwards. i didn't feel that great. after laying on the bed for a few minutes, i got up again and felt better. i had a little more trouble getting to sleep than usual.

today, day 6.5/7
tomorrow afternoon will mark 7 days from my last solid meal with sunset (last saturday). we started planning a celebratory dinner yesterday for sunday night at lush, which allowed me to fixate on "real food" for a little while. in order to transition to solid food, i'm roughly following the master cleanse guidelines. i'm probably going to start drinking a little orange juice tonight and tomorrow morning. tomorrow afternoon or early evening i'm going to make SOUP. i'll might have a little more of this on sunday along with some of the leftover raw food from our meal last weekend. after that i should be ready for lush. damn, i can't wait!

well, i've been to the bathroom twice while writing this. i'm happy to say this salt bath experience was much better than yesterday's, although i wouldn't go so far as to call it "refreshing".

finally, i'll note i just had my first sip of juice for the day and it actually tasted pretty good ;)

day 5.5/6: two down, two to go!

i'm pretty hungry but i haven't had any juice yet today. i'm staring at a quart of slighly salty water for my "internal salt water bath". it scares me a little.

i woke up this morning to a message from scott telling me that he broke his fast/cleanse last night at dinner: wakame salad and miso soup. he made it a little longer than 72 hours which i believe was his revised goal. jess made it 48 hours which i believe was his goal for starting out.

left are me and sunset, 5.5/6 days into the master cleanse. we started on saturday afternoon and it's now thursday morning. last night saturday afternoon seemed really far away. today, with two days left to go, it seems a bit more manageable. we're sticking pretty closely to "the book", so the first day off only affords us the luxury of orange juice. i'm starting to get really excited about our vegetable soup on sunday. wow.

cheating dream
i had some crazy food/fast related dreams last night. i dreamed i was making biscuits (the southern American kind, y'all) and i started eating one of them. at some point i was like "oh shit! i can't do this!" i starting wondering what the effects would be of putting solid food in my body. i think i felt a little unsettled. later, i putting something else in my mouth and had the same "oh shit!" reaction. seems like i was having a hard time remembering i was trying to stick to the fast.

reportedly i was also talking in my sleep and smacking my lips. i have been known to fantasize about food as i'm falling asleep ;)

why are you fasting? who are you people??
we're all very religious. we are members of a new church called the church of scientific fastology, first juice branch. we hold weekly services around town and treat new members to lots of ice cream. we're always looking for new members who like to eat ice cream. please contact one of us if you'd like to visit or are considering join our cul--church, excuse me.

actually, the church hasn't quite gotten off the ground yet. we're working on that.

my reasons for starting the fast/cleanse are many, but not always easy to explain. i did a "48 hour detox" from local juicer arden's garden around two years ago. i found it to be pretty easy to drink a gallon of watered down orange/grapefruit juice a day, but didn't really notice any dramatic effects. my main gripe was getting really tired the first night.

so recently, i was looking to reset things a bit coming into the spring. i've been eating out more and not enjoying my meals as much. i'm a big foodie/eater, so that didn't make me happy. i started asking around and someone forwarded me a document (30 pages, nonetheless!) containing the master cleanse. i got the impression it was pretty popular, so i decided to go for it. i feel like i'm relatively healthy and not so much "full of toxins", but i though the cleansing part would be an added benefit and an interesting experiment/experience.

so here's a rough list of some of my reasons/motivations:
1. see what happens when i (willingly) don't eat solid food for more than 48 hours
2. prove to myself that i could do it
3. regain an appreciation for food
4. trim up a bit (i'm still exercising)
5. experience something new!

alright, now that i've bored everyone sufficiently, that salt water is still staring back at me...

Day 2 for Jess

I am well into day 2 now. I'm not sure when I'm supposed to say I started, but I can say with certainty that it has been since Monday at 7:00pm since I've had a solid meal. All other meals have been fruit punch.

I think I'll quit the fast tonight (after a 48 hour period). Although the duration of the fast will have been much shorter than the recommended time, I still feel like I learned something. Stuff I've learned so far:

1. No food makes Jess very grumpy. At least, that is on day one. Today, I feel a little more mellow and less preoccupied with thoughts of food.

2. No food makes it difficult for Jess to concentrate. Again, at least on day one. I had a very difficult time concentrating yesterday. I am doing a little better today.

3. Two days is not enough to cleanse. Especially, if you're not taking the "relaxing teas." Not a big deal since I now know ...

4. Not eating gives you a much greater respect for food (good food). I passed by a gas station this morning with a sign out front that said "Stuff yourself". Pictured on the sign was a bag of potato chips, cookies, and a can of pop. It just about made me ill. Crap food is not appealing right now. Steak is.

5. In addition to steak, I have a carb craving. I wasn't kidding yesterday when I said I wanted a piece of toast. I also want a nice Papa Johns pizza. Some might consider this crap food too, but at least its one step above the junk on that sign.

6. Watching people eat when you are hungry is not a good idea. It just makes it worse.

I'll keep you guys posted on my progress today.

everyone hits their stride, jess begins

day 3.5/4

wow. looks like everyone is feeling really good. awesome! i would say the fast effects for me have been less dramatic than scott and sunset. no lasting headaches, no hallucinations, no ridiculous number of trips to the bathroom.

jess has started, and i wish him well. sounds like he may have made his lemonade a little too spicy, which is not a pleasant way to start. he also skipped breakfast his first day, which is different than the rest of us.

observations

mind:
about the same as usual. no problems focusing on work (any more than usual, anyway).

energy level:
at least slightly better than usual, even on low sleep (yesterday).

exercise:
no problems with a rigorous class last night.

hunger:
i comes up every now-and-then, but not a big deal. probably could drink more juice.

bowels:
good shape. i think the final bit of solids left my system yesterday. i was surprised there was anything solid in there after drinking liquid for two days. yes, you'd be surprised at how interesting your bowel moments become when you don't have the "distraction" of eating ;)

cravings:
something savory, for the love of god! marrrrrrmiiiiiiiite. maybe i'll try that fabulous salt "inner bath".

Cheating already

Okay, it's day one for me, and my mind is already subconciously attempting to cheat. I woke up pretty groggy this morning and headed straight for the breakfast bars. It was only after I had bitten off a good mouthful that I realized I was supposed to start my fasting today. Visions of bulimic teens danced in my head as I squatted over the garbage can spitting the Balance Bar out of my mouth. Later, as I fed Alessia, I absently put one of her Cheerios in my mouth. That one went into the sink.

I think I put too much cayenne pepper into the mix. I know it's supposed to have a small kick to it but it tastes more like Texas chile. Does it upset anyone else's stomach?

By the way, I'm f*cking hungry.

let the games begin

alright. sunset and i started "the master cleanse" today after a late lunch. we walked down to sevananda and picked up a varietly of raw and raw-ish foods. i do think both of us ate quite a bit, but the plan, of course, is that will be our last solid meal for at least seven days.

after lunch, we made our first batch of lemonade, sunset's "meal" to bring to work tonight:

2 T fresh squeezed organic lemon juice
2 T organic maple syrup
1/10 t cayenne pepper
8 oz water

x 4 servings

later in the afternoon, i picked up three 1/2 gallons of fresh squeezed sugar cane juice from the farmer's market. i'm going to be using this instead of the maple syrup thing as "the master" (ha ha) said that's ideal compared to maple syrup or other options. bascially, same recipe as above, but substitute 10 oz of sugarcane juice for the water and maple syrup.

i drank a cup of "stay regular" laxative tea about an hour ago and i just finished about 32 ounces of lemonade. damn, that went quick. anyway, the stuff tastes pretty good. much sweeter than sunset's, although she did choose to half the maple syrup above (forgot to mention that).

so now i'm just waiting for some movie plans to come together. sin city. tonight!

detox/fasting delayed, thoughts

alright, finally tuning in here. i believe we've all decided to delay things another week to allow us to start on a weekend and research things a bit more.

a few thoughts:

come on scott! you can give up caffeine for a few days! you're not going to die, despite any "flu-like symptoms". i think your caveat may give yourself an easy out. hell, you may acheive enlightenment after three days of no caffiene!

let's do this right!

another thing, i'd really like us to stick with specific program. if you're not going to do the lemon juice and maple syrup "lemonade" thing, i'd suggest you pick another program that has been used by others. for example, arden's has a 48 hour detox (1 gallon of watered down lemonade per day). anyway, i'd just like us to avoid coming up with one that suits us (i.e. no welsh's grape juice and nicorette "detox").

ok, i'm picking on scott, but sunset and i have talked a lot more about specifics. i think we're pretty much on the same page. we're aiming for seven days, and we've been discussing starting on saturday or sunday.

scott, i'd encourage you to aim for 72 hours. you can do it dawg ;)

also chatting with devon today, who claims some knowledge on the subject but was "too lazy" to post to our blog:

(11:23:39) devon: i think you can always drink water
(11:23:44) devon: and herbal tea
(11:23:56) devon: in fact, if you are doing a week long fast, i encourage it
(11:24:02) devon: esp. for frances
(11:24:11) devon: dandelion, nettles, oatstraw teas
(11:24:27) devon: are very good for detoxifying, nourishing, and supporting female systems
(11:24:31) devon: and boys too

alright, that's it for now kids.