Based on the title alone, I'm sure you can see where this post is headed.
Oui, I broke the fast before the 72-hour mark.
Et non, I don't regret it at all! To be honest, I'm impressed that I lasted this long. Could I have made it until tomorrow morning? Probably. But my night would've been miserable, and well, I get it. I get what a cleanse is supposed to do, so I really don't care that much about finishing this last half day. :)
Day 3 Recap:
Difficulty: 9 - It wasn't as hard as yesterday because I was at work and was therefore preoccupied at times. That being said, when I smelled my coworkers' lunches, I almost fainted with desire (yes, I was a bit melodramatic at work). Then when I went up to the cafeteria to get some hot water and lemon, and saw these yummy cheesy pizza bites that the cafeteria sometimes makes (and that I used to get), I swear I stood in front of them for about 5 minutes debating with myself as to whether it would be the worst thing in the world to grab a few and eat them in the bathroom. (For the record, I didn't do it.) What also made the day easier to get through was the knowledge that I would allow myself to eat in the evening.
Physical: After sleeping all day yesterday, it's no surprise that I had tremendous difficulty falling asleep last night. That being said, when my alarm went off this morning, I wasn't tired. I had a good amount of energy and felt it all day. My coworker commented immediately on how "great" I looked, and how my skin was glowing. I honestly don't think I looked that different at all, except that I was minus a lot of water weight.
Emotional: Mmmm... I basically b*tched all day about how hungry I am. So yes, I was a treat.
Pounds Lost: Down another 1.5 for a total of 5.5 pounds. Not bad for just 2 days! I'm curious to see what my weight will be tomorrow morning now that I've reintroduced solid food to my diet. I will say that when I got dressed this morning, I put on a skirt that's normally a bit tight on me, and it was very loose. Now
that, I will miss.
I'll tell you what I won't miss though... those damn juices!! I now officially hate the Blueprint green juice - it's way too freaking sweet. And the pineapple, apple, mint one is delicious but also very sweet. I do, however, love the spicy lemonade and the cashew milk. Mmmm.
So, are you dying to know? What did I eat? How did I break this infamous fast? Not with a piece of fruit or lightly steamed veggies, as suggested. Nope, I knew exactly what I wanted...
Creamy avocado on Ezekiel sprouted bread. Delish. I hope my tummy doesn't hate me for it. So far, so good!
Now for the real questions re: the cleanse:
1. Was it worth it?
Monetarily? No. I'm actually pretty pissed that I have 3 of those darn green juices left in my fridge. I would never buy Blueprint's green juice again - it's so not even close to the best I've had. Also, one of the things that drove me the most crazy about this cleanse was the lack of variety. I think if I were to do another cleanse, I'd do it when I had my own juicer and could therefore pick and choose my own combos. Or I'd try
Cooler Cleanse, which has more variety (watermelon + lime and coconut? yum!).
For the experience? Absolutely. I wanted to do a juice cleanse, and I did it. And I understand the benefits - de-bloating, quick weight loss (albeit water weight loss), a chance to give your body a break. These are all really good things. That being said...
2. Would you do it again?
I don't think I would not do
3 2.5 days again. This girl is just not meant to go that long without solid food. I would, however, consider a 24-hour one, or even a juice-til-dinner type situation. That way, you still get a lot of the benefits of a cleanse, but
sans the absolute agony of knowing you don't get to eat for a really, really long time.
3. Would you recommend it?
Eh, this is tricky. Here's what I would recommend: if you want to reset and give it a try, go for it. But try a 1-day cleanse first just to see what you're getting yourself into. And then maybe splurge and go for a 3- or 5- or 10- day one (who can do 10 days?!?!!), if you think you can handle it. I personally could not (and don't really want to).
4. What have you LEARNED from this 2.5 days of misery?
I've learned that I love how my body feels when it's 5.5 lbs lighter. I've learned that I absolutely cannot go without solid food for more than 24 hours without wanting to kill someone. I've learned that when you're truly hungry, you don't crave pizza or burgers or beer, you crave things like brussels sprouts and lentils and kale soup. I've learned that I'd rather eat really healthy and in moderation for 4 weeks than go more than 4 hours without food. I've learned that you can lose an astonishing amount of weight when you just drink juice. I've learned that your mouth really does fill with saliva when you see delicious food in the Food Network that you absolutely cannot eat.
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