Juicing cleanse (and modified) for Weight loss

[thickdeedee]

Has anyone ever done a juice cleanse? I did for it 5 days and lost 6 pounds. I did veggie juice, ate fruit, nuts and drank coffee with no sugar. 

[Dominique]

Juicing isn’t an optimal way of getting in your nutrients IMO, especially when dieting down to a lower weight. If you have a limited number of calories to play with, you will get more bang for your buck by eating your food rather than drinking it. By juicing veggies, you leave out almost all of their fiber (which would help keep you fuller and is otherwise good for gut health) and a lot of their micronutrients (e.g. vitamins). Sure, you can lose a lot of weight in a short period of time, but a lot of it is water rather than fat, and it’s a one-off effect similar to what you see when switching to a low-carb diet.

As to the "cleansing" aspect of it: most people have functioning organs (e.g. kidneys, liver) that are fully capable of doing the job. If you were eating a lot of junk food previously and switched to a healthier diet, the "toxic" food  presumably circulating in your system will eventually disappear without the need for a "cleanse".

So congrats for your decision to eat more healthy food, but try to eat your veggies rather than drink them! 

[lavabelle]

After watching a documentary called "Fat, Sick and Nearly dead" I remember looking into juicing as a healthy approach to eating...but what I discovered after doing some research definitely discouraged me from choosing this way of eating.

The cost to get set up and the cost of food is so much higher to juice, and you lose all of the "good" fiber from your foods and end up throwing away so much good stuff...

I completely agree with @Dominique... eating your veggies is a way cheaper and healthier option 🙂

[emili]

@thickdeedee hey there.. I am in the same camp as the rest of the replies. In my opinion, that is not healthy and most importantly not satisfying. I am curious how much of the weight have you kept off once you started eating normally again.... 

I think for any long term weight loss, it should be a change in lifestyle, a change in food choices and a change in the your overall relationship with fitness. If you decide to set out on a fitness journey, I would encourage you to choose a change in lifestyle, not a fad or a quick fix...

[MarciM]

Hi @thickdeedee I'm curious if you found the experience satisfying? I personally find chewing much more satisfying and thus my mind and body get full, energized, and I stop having cravings. I have friends that 100% believe in juicing, but when I ask them if they feel satisfied, I get back, "of course not, this is a discipline and something to suffer thru to reach a goal". I think life is too short to suffer thru when there are so many great healthy choices and to @emili point, it's about making a lifestyle choice and finding something that is sustainable. I hope you find what works best for you and it's something you can enjoy. 

[Sunstrider]

---

@MarciM wrote:

Hi @thickdeedee I'm curious if you found the experience satisfying? I personally find chewing much more satisfying and thus my mind and body get full, energized, and I stop having cravings. I have friends that 100% believe in juicing, but when I ask them if they feel satisfied, I get back, "of course not, this is a discipline and something to suffer thru to reach a goal". I think life is too short to suffer thru when there are so many great healthy choices and to @emili point, it's about making a lifestyle choice and finding something that is sustainable. I hope you find what works best for you and it's something you can enjoy. 

---

Hey, Thickdeedee!
I'd like to know more about your experience as well.
I was quite unlucky, though. My SS and I did a juice fast for a week. We too saw that movie and it caught our interest. I felt okay for the most part while doing the juice fast, but I was always hungry and there was no weight loss for me either. My SS does not need to lose weight he just wanted to see how he felt. I will admit that we both felt we had a bit more energy, although I think that came from not eating junk the way we had been. The best thing that came from it was that it truly did curb my cravings for sweets (which I have a problem with). So I am sure it would work for some (and I'm really interested in theirs opinion), but overall it was not for me.

[Jessicatt]

No I have not yet tried this but will now try it as you have told us the benefits of it. Just I am afraid of stomach issues. I don't want to flush toilet again and again