Suja Juice Cleanse Round 2!

If you read my last blog post about my first experience with juice cleansing, you knew this would be coming! (If you didn't read it, catch it HERE.) I was so happy with the changes in my appetite after my first 3-day Suja Juice cleanse back in June, that I just had to have another round. I timed it perfectly for the week before our family vacation to Cabo. I figured I'd look a little better in the bikinis I'd be sporting nearly all day and perhaps I would binge a bit less than I normally do at all-inclusive resorts. The results are in!

First off, I'll address the question everyone asks me first when I tell them I just finished a cleanse, "How much weight did you lose?" I had lost about 5 pounds on the initial cleanse, and when I started this one I had gained back maybe a pound or so. I ended this second cleanse 2 pounds below where I ended the last one, so I lost about 3 total this time. For me it isn't all about the weight loss though, my cravings that had been wiped out by my first cleanse were starting to rear their ugly heads again, so it was time to put them to rest! Did it work? Mostly!

Again, I left for Cabo a mere 3 days after finishing this second cleanse, and we stayed at an all-inclusive resort, so healthy eating wasn't really in the cards. But, I know for a fact I made much better choices than I would have had I not cleansed right before! I think I only had 4 margaritas the entire week, and instead opted for wine and other less sugary drinks when the bartenders were throwing drinks at me. I ate salads for lunch whenever I could get my hands on one (believe it or not it wasn't easy, room service became my only lunch option!) I only gave in to the late night room service dessert binge once, and it was mostly because my son deserved the experience (I would normally do that every night when it's free!) All in all I would say the cleanse definitely set me up for better eating habits on vacation and beyond. Now that I'm home, it's back to greek yogurt, salads, protein and veggies on the daily menu...oh and a Suja Juice here and there for a snack of course! And I'm loving it! I missed eating healthy!

As for the experience of the cleanse itself, I'd have to say it was a bit tougher for me this time around. Note to self (and other women), do not allow your cleanse to overlap with PMS. I didn't do a very good job of eating clean leading into the cleanse like I did last time. I had a piece of chocolate or 2 the day before and my husband offered up a glass of wine that I couldn't refuse that same night. I had a headache from hell for the last 2 days of the cleanse, I finally had to give in and take Advil which I really didn't want to do! But it helped! Next time I'm definitely doing a better job of clean eating for a couple of days prior as it really seemed to help the first time around. I had a slight headache that time, but it was brief and manageable. Other than the headache all went well and once again I didn't cheat at all during the 3 days of the cleanse. My husband survived without any issues at all...and he had to work every day, he cleanses like a champ! So are we going to do it yet again? Of course! I think we'll be quarterly cleansers for life, we're hooked.

The Fast Metabolism Diet

I recently received a free copy of The Fast Metabolism Diet book by Haylie Pomroy from SheSpeaks to review. I must say, as soon as I started reading the book I was excited to try the diet and see what results I would get from it. Many of the author's clients have lost upwards of 20 pounds on the 28 day diet by keeping their metabolism guessing. The diet is broken down into 3 basic phases that are alternated every few days:

Phase 1 - Lots of carbs and fruit
Phase 2 - Lots of proteins and veggies
Phase 3 - All of the above plus healthy fats and oils


Pomroy claims that in addition to seeing pounds fall off, you will see your cholesterol drop, blood sugar stabilize, energy increase, sleep improve and stress melt away. That all sounds great to me! Now for the tricky part, sticking to a diet!

Phase 1 includes high-glycemic, moderate-protein, low-fat foods such as brown rice, oatmeal, fruits, turkey, lentils and more. Easy enough. Phase 2 includes high-protein, high-vegetable, low-carb and low-fat foods such as broccoli, leafy greens, lean beef, low-fat fish and kale but prohibits fruit and grains. Phase 3 has an emphasis on high healthy-fat, moderate-carb & protein, low-glycemic foods such as avocado, nuts & seeds, olive oil, hummus, salmon, berries, beans and my fave, lobster!

Now, I must say, the food lists aren't so bad. And each phase is only a couple of days, so it's all very doable. My problem? Giving up my vices! The "rules" of the diet strictly prohibit not only my beloved wine and coffee (caffeine in general), but also wheat, corn, dairy, soy, refined sugar, dried fruit, fruit juices, artificial sweeteners and fat-free "diet foods". I can live without most of those, but not my wine and coffee!

So, I may just have to add my own little tweak to this diet to allow for the occasional glass of wine. I'll be setting out on the venture soon and will keep you all updated on how it goes! Has anyone else tried this diet yet? I'd love to hear your thoughts!