After years of working an office job, where you often sit in front of a computer or take business meetings or conduct interviews over dinner, lunch or the phone, I’d began to feel the heavy weight of … well… a few unwanted pounds. I was feeling heavy and tired all the time and even when I’d exercise, I’d still feel slothful and irritable.
I’d heard about the Master Cleanse, so I read up on it, watched tutorials and decided to go for it. The first day was fine for me. I drank the “lemonade” every time I felt hungry. I’d even sit in the office, as my coworkers ordered scrumptious-smelling Thai food (my favorite) and ate pizza and pasta just 5 feet away from me. It was definitely tempting, but I focused on my goal: to be rid of emotional eating and that heavy, greasy feeling I’d often felt after meals. I’d also shed a few pounds, which would be an added perk.
If anyone asked, I’d tell him or her outright that I was fasting. I even had to assure a lunch buddy that I wasn’t trying to be offensive or awkward by not ordering anything but water. I really couldn’t have cared less if someone didn’t understand. My health was important to me, and once I put my mind to something, I’m serious about seeing it through.
Don’t get me wrong. Days 3, 4, and 5 got to be quite challenging. Good thing I had an accountability partner in my Granny. I’d call her when I wanted to eat, and she’d talk me out of it, reminding me that I’d set a goal and should fight hard to achieve it.
I’d often watch more success stories on Youtube, read my Bible, and focus on other goals that were important to me, which I’d procrastinated completing. My sense of smell heightened, my skin cleared, and I began to be in a better mood in the mornings. I even slept better at night and eventually had no desire to eat those fatty foods I’d often craved. I began to realize that much of healthy habits are mental, and eating didn’t have to be some emotional monster that had control over me, but a way to feed my body and keep it strong.
Eventually, I came to the last day. I began to get compliments. People said, “There’s something different about you. You’re glowing” or “Did you lose weight?” I’d quietly take the compliment and smile knowing that I’d pushed myself and made it.
I’m no physician or expert, but I can say that fasting helped me get back on track after years of overeating and slacking on exercise. It also helped me recognize what’s important in life and that eating doesn’t have to have power over my day. I used to be one to get really crabby if I didn’t eat what I wanted, when I wanted it, becoming impatient, rude and surly. Now, I can say I have the power and food doesn’t dictate my mood or demeanor.
Continued on next page…
If you’re considering a cleanse or fast, here are a few tips that helped me through:
1. Always be sure you are in good health or have the co-sign of your doctor before starting any type of health-related routine, whether a fast, cleanse, exercise, or diet. It wouldn’t be a good look to faint or have a major emergency on the job after having done something you shouldn’t have even started in the first place.
2. Research, research, research. The Master Cleanse is not the only way to fast (and it may not be a fit for you). There are many programs out
there as well as resources for various ways of doing it. Some even offer professional assistance and structure so that you will have support and know the right way of going about it. Youtube videos and fitness blogs are also a great help and can connect you with others who are doing it as well.3. Get an accountability partner. It should be someone who
is supportive, who won’t question your motivation, and who won’t constantly put you in a place of temptation. My Granny lives hundreds of miles away and she knows me. She knows when I’m just whining or when I’m really hungry. And there was no way I’d be tempted by her mac & cheese or collards.4. Remember, it’s a cleanse, NOT a weight-loss regimen. With weight loss being a byproduct of the cleanse, there was less pressure for me. It felt like a nice perk of cleansing my body and freeing my mind, not a main motivation. With a cleanse, it’s less about pounds lost and more about how you feel emotionally and physically.
5. Have a plan for after the cleanse is over. No, I can’t go through life drinking that “lemonade” all day, every day. Eventually, eating healthy and exercising is a more realistic way to go. The cleanse only helped me to start on what I believe to be a clean slate. After the fast, I ate soups and gradually moved on to veggies, fruits and seafood. I eventually ate meat, but I’m still not a fan of eating it often. I had no desire to eat fast food and oftentimes, even the thought of anything greasy turned me off. (Same happened when I fasted from smoking—which led to my ultimate quitting—but that’s a whole other blog).
6. Keep your eyes on the prize and make no excuses. So what your coworkers are ordering pizzas? So what a prospective client wants to meet over dinner? Â I’ve actually used the fact that I was on a fast as an ice breaker. Much of the desire to cheat was mental. Keep motivating factors around you to resist the urge. For me it was photos of Naomi Campbell in a swimsuit and another of myself at a pool party my freshman year of college. Do whatever you have to do to stay focused and ignore the crazy looks or naysayers. Sometimes, it’s best to stay mum and let the results speak for themselves. Don’t talk. Just DO.