Any tips on how to stick to a juice fast for at least a week?

Question

I'm about to start a juice fast, but because I have a junk-food-junkie family, it makes it REALLY difficult to stick with it. The best solution would be to retreat somewhere for the duration of the fast where I wouldn't have to contend with people sabotaging my efforts. Unfortunately, I'm unable to do this. I have obligations I just can't walk away from for any length of time.

I am feeling this overwhelming need to just purge my whole system of toxic material, including emotional toxins. I went to yoga one day last week and became uncomfortably aware of the condition my body was in. My body felt like a child that I had abused and neglected. It reduced me to tears. So...I need to shed about 30 lbs to reach my target weight. Fasting isn't the solution, but it's a kickstart. Any words of wisdom to inspire me? Any "stick-to-it" techniques you have used with success?

We're not talking about losing 30 lbs through starvation! I said it's a kickstart to a healthier diet/fitness routine. I have tried juice fasting before and was pleased with the way I felt after only 3 days...although the "crisis point" really sucked. That's where you get flu-like symptoms (nausea, headache, chills, slight fever, etc.). After I got over the "hump", it felt like a huge burst of (sustained) energy. Not a sugar rush, mind you. But a genuine increase in energy. And when I say "juice", I don't mean Minute Maid from concentrate stuff. I mean freshly juiced carrot, pomegranate, apple, orange, lemon and pineapple mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with spring water. All the nutrients, antioxidants & enzymes with none of the digestive work.

Answer 1

find a local herbalist and talk with them about setting you up to take an herbal cleanse. they are much better at ridding the body of toxins and she'll also set you up a plan to help with surpression of apptite, and you can still have a few things to eat, plus drink.

Answer 2

The first couple days are the hardest, then you get into a zone where it's not too bad, so just hang in there for the first two days.

Don't drink straight fruit juice, it has too much sugar and will put your blood sugar levels on a roller coaster. Dilute your fruit juice with water by at least half. Juice club drinks also have a high sugar content and should be avoided. You can actually consume a huge amount of calories with fruit juice, so pick your juices carefully. I'd avoid citrus, it's pretty acidic. Vege juice is good, and get some low salt boullion or broth. Warm boullion or broth at mealtimes will be more satisfying than cold juice. Be sure to get protien during this time, protien powder to mix into your diluted juice is good. You can also drink plain old water and steeped non-caffienated teas - they have no calories.

DO NOT stay on a liquid diet for more than a week. Do not engage in strenuous exersize during your liquid diet. Light yoga and walking are fine, but if it starts to feel bad, stop. Remember that you are trying to love your body and improve it, not punish yourself and beat yourself up. If you start to feel really bad, I mean physically bad, slowly go off the fast. Some people just can't fast.

If you go back onto your regular diet with no modifcation after the fast, all the weight and more will come back FAST because your body will have switched to a different mode where it will work very hard to extract every last calorie out of everything you eat.

To use a fast to jump start a diet, do your fast for the days you decide, then slowly come back to solid food. The fast will have shrunk your stomach a little so you will feel satisfied faster. Remember to always eat slowly, to make healthy decisions every day about what to eat. Fresh fruits and veges, whole grains. Avoid sweet and/or salty foods and fatty foods.

REALLY STRONG SUGGESTION: You might also want to do some on line reading about high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils. Educating yourself about those two substances will really open your eyes and give you a huge motiviation to avoid them - they are major players in most snacky junky foods.
Best of luck!

Answer 3

Number one, A "juice" diet is not what your looking for. Lemonade made with LEMONS, WATER and Honey (for sweetner) Is what will detox your body chemicaly (That should take 10 Days.) If you need to lose weight (30lbs?!) A starvation diet is the worst possible thing you could do to your self. What you need to do is EAT HEALTHY and WORK OUT. Thats how you lose weight.

Answer 4

The way to get through is to make up your mind you're going to do it.

However, you're not going to detoxify if you're drinking juices. It may help with potty a bit, but basically you're drinking large amounts of sugar (carbs).

Detox is accomplished by giving the body a complete digestive rest by drinking only water.

Answer 5

1