Master Cleanse: Day 10....WE DID IT!!!

Can you believe it?!?! 10 days, NO food, and feeling more fantastic than I have in SUCH a long time. YAYAYAYAYAY!!!! I am so proud of myself...and ESPECIALLY Reid because even though no one believes me, he was 100 times better at this than I was. He has superb willpower and dedication and has done really really well. And anyways, even though he's a big guy, he really doesn't eat that much (I swear I eat a lot MORE than him!).

I know most people just consider this a "diet," but above all, it's a DETOX. It's supposed to wean you off of all your evils (caffeine, sugar, carbs), so that you can start off at the end of it, with a fresh footing. It gets rid of all the GUNK and JUNK that's been stuck in your digestive system for years, and your system is supposed to work more efficiently after. I have so many gfs that want to do it purely for the weight loss...but that's the wrong attitude to go into it with! It will make it hard to get through the 10 days if that is all you're focused on. Think about it as a way to get in touch with body (get your mind out of the gutter people) and put it back in balance.

Here are some of the benefits I've personally felt through doing this. These might be real OR imagined, but either way, it's great to think that they're happening!

1. My personal evil was coffee. And now, I have no more caffeine addiction! I'm going to still drink it since I LOVE the taste and feeling, but I'm switching to decaf.
2. Energy. I have never felt so consistently energized and focused ALL day - for the entire week. I usually have HUGE ups and downs, mostly surrounding my meals. But now I wake up energized, and I last through to the night (no naps) energized. It's a great feeling, and I can get a lot done.
3. Mood. I'm nice to the majority of people ALL the time...but Reid knows that I can have some crazy mood swings. Little things irritate me all the time and I'm infuriated over them. I've still had my moments this week, but overall I've been much more even-kealed and calm. It's great to have no HULK moments :)
4. Weight Loss. Its different for everyone, but its amazing to see your body change in ONE week. Overall I don't think I particularly got "skinny" or anything, but I feel SO comfortable in my skin now. And I wouldn't say I dropped any sizes, but all of my clothes are fitting REALLY well, and I feel confident and great in everything. I know that I will never be supermodel skinny - that's just not my body type. But I feel like this (and maybe a FEW lbs less) is my ideal weight. Now let's hope I can keep it off!
   
5. My skin has been glowing. Not to be conceited...but I think it had always glowed...hahaha...but even my bestie Johanna mentioned that my skin is looking really good lately.
   
6. The feeling that I KNOW I can do something as challenging as this, and take charge of my body and what I put into it. This has really taught me to try and consider what I'm eating before I eat it. I'm always a pretty healthy eater, but this has made me think even harder about it.
   

Probably 100 people have contacted me to tell me they'd like to try it...so here are some general tips:

• Do it with a friend!! The first 3-4 days are really really hard, you'll need that support and the knowledge that someone else is as miserable as you are.
• Time it right. Again, the first 3-4 days you may be a little off, so try to time it when you don't have important things to do those few days. It tends to consume your life for the 10 days, so pick a good 10 days!
• DO YOUR RESEARCH! There are a million websites about it (some that REALLY suck and tell you weird things) one I found pretty simple and explanatory was: http://themastercleanse.org/
  
• I read the original book by Stanley Burroughs. If you want to do it, I have typed up notes from the book I'd be happy to email them to you, so drop me a email asking me for them (cinhsieh@gmail.com). Yes I know I'm a nerd. I can't read anything without taking notes!
  

Overall, it's been a journey. And not to get all spiritual and stuff, but it really made me feel very balanced - mind/body/soul style. I really don't know if everyone will have the same results as I have, but it has been a fantastic 10 days for me. Started out miserable, and after that was sort of this Master Cleanse high where I was feeling great inside and out. And I really felt like I was doing something nice (finally) to my body. I am definitely going to make myself do this every few months, maybe for just 7 days or so. That way I feel like I can continually re-balance myself and not let myself get too gunked up.

I'm no scientist and I have no idea what the hell is going on in there, but the results that I've had have made me a total believer. And I totally know that the process itself sounds extreme, but I wouldn't have done it myself if I didn't personally know some people that did it and also had great results. I encourage everyone to try it!!!! (but accept no liability if someone who does try it does not lose weight or has bad results....Sorry, the lawyer in me.)

Thanks to everyone that has been following along my 10 days :) I don't know if I'll be posting everyday anymore, but I may be updating on my post-Master Cleanse life. This wknd is going to be AMAZING!