A few weeks ago I wrote about the 10 day fast/diet that I underwent (i.e. 'The Master Cleanse'). It's now been 4 weeks since I completed that diet, and so here are some follow up observations.
First, weight loss. I reported losing 11 lbs on the diet, and I'm happy to report that I've kept that weight off. Obviously, my weight fluctuates so there were times that I was up to 164, and times when my weight was as low as 158. But this morning it was 161, which is about where it was when I stopped the Master Cleanse diet.
Food consumption: I have continued to be very aware of how much food my body needs to function, and so I don't consume as much food as I did before the diet. This is the main benefit of the diet; you become starkly aware of how much food your body actually needs. But the key is to give it the right kind of food, which brings me to…
Nutritional awareness: I have kept my awareness of what my body really needs to feel sated. I have partaken of small amounts of unhealthy food (e.g. potato chips or french fries), but I only do this when I've been on a long streak of healthy foods. I eat a lot more salad, and vegetables and fruits. I also tend to gravitate towards soups, which was not my tendency before the diet.
Other people's efforts: Several friends and acquaintances have also tried the diet since I recommended it. They all lost weight and felt much better afterwards, and all of them seem to have kept on the healthy path. I'm sure that some people don't succeed in making it the full 10 days (it helps if you do the 3 day ramp up, and 3 day ramp down, which I didn't do). I'm also sure that some people don't keep up the healthy path once they stop the diet.
The diet is just a tool, and you can use it to your advantage or not. There is nothing 'automatic' about it. What it does give you is a sense of how weak your willpower is when you make bad choices about something like daily eating. If you can make it through the 10 days (16, if you count the two 3 day ramp up periods) then you at least have a new, and powerful, opportunity to build a healthier approach to eating.
No one can guarantee you'll keep eating healthy; it's up to you to make sensible choices. I'm glad I tried the diet, and I can definitely say that it made it easier for me to find a much better path. One that I plan to make every effort to stay on.
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I took off ten pounds in two weeks, although I did not follow the diet faithfully. It helped alot, though. Thanks. JPG
Congrats on keeping it off. After reading your post I have begun working on my wife to undergo a similar diet.