I Promised Something Juicy....

...and here it is!

After spending most of 2009 committed to improving myself - training for races, staying in shape, eating right, etc....I've re-evaluated some of my goals for last year and noticed one glaring issue - my weight. My youngest child is now 16 months old, yet I'm still carrying an extra 20 pounds of baby weight! How I managed to train for endurance sports last year and not lose a single pound is beyond me. But I am dedicated to taking care of this issue first and foremost - before I even start thinking about my 2010 events. I feel that a significant weight loss will help me train better, smarter, and faster...not to mention, it will improve my overall self-esteem.

I also feel that some of the straggling weight could be due to some toxic build up in my body. Yes, I know this sounds gross. But after some research, I've come to realize that my body is full of toxins - artificial flavors, man-made materials, synthetic junk (prescription medications that the body is not designed to process), etc. So not only do I need to drop some pounds, but I also need to CLEANSE myself from the inside out.

That being said, I have decided to do the Martha's Vineyard Diet Detox. I first heard about this detox on a show about how celebrities drop weight quickly. I know, I know - dropping weight FAST isn't healthy, right?? But I was intrigued... So I bought the book "21 Pounds in 21 Days" by Dr. Roni DeLuz, the founder of the MV Diet Detox.

The book gave a lot of background information about what is "toxic" to our bodies and how toxins make us carry excess weight. The information in the book was fascinating. The book also included the instructions on how to properly do the detox, as well as testimonials from those who have completed it successfully.

This isn't a detox where you starve yourself or deprive yourself of nutrients. Ever heard of the lemon juice fast or the grapefruit diet?? Not the same thing. In fact, you take in a variety nutrients every 2 hours. This keeps your tummy full and your body well nourished. The only thing is that the nourishment is completely in liquid form for 21 days. The book explains that when your digestive system has to break down solid food, it is busy "digesting." When the nutrition it receives is already broken down, it can spend time "detoxing," ie - getting rid of the bad stuff.

During the 21 days of cleansing, a person takes in herbal cleansing supplements, digestive enzymes, herbal tea, water, green drinks, high density berry drinks, live vegetable juice (made fresh daily), and a cleansing soup made of fresh vegetables that are cooked and pureed. Everything is 100% natural and organic. If done properly, the person can lose (on average) 21 pounds in 21 days, hence the name of the book.

I am sure there are people that may argue that this is not a healthy approach to weight loss. I'm trying to look at it as more than just weight loss, but also as a way to really do something good for my body by getting rid of the toxic build up that is stored inside. I want to cleanse my body and start fresh. I'm also sure there are plenty of skeptics out there as well. And to those, I will say this: I tested this detox shortly after I had my last baby. (I will add that I was not breastfeeding at the time, as detoxing while breastfeeding is not okay - the toxins exit the body via breastmilk, among other ways, and would be ingested by the baby - so I wanted to throw that out there.) Anyway, I did the detox for 6 days and lost a total of 11 pounds that STAYED OFF.

You may be wondering why I didn't continue for the full 21 days if I saw such great results the first time around. That's a great question. I will say this - this detox is not easy. It takes a great deal of will power, as well as a strong support system. I am in the right mindset at this point in my life to give this another shot. I'm not sure if I will be able to go the full 21 days...but I am committed to TRYING. And whether I make it all the way through or not, at least I will have done something good for my body during the process.

At first I wasn't planning to blog about this. I wasn't sure what people would think. I'm sure it sounds a little insane. I also didn't want to announce that I'm doing this huge detox and then have to admit that I failed. But then I realized that blogging about it would help hold me accountable for sticking to it. So, feel free to send me words of encouragement over the next 3 weeks. ;) I also want to document the entire process...so that if it IS successfull and I decided to do it again one day, I can look back and see where I struggled so I know what I can do to make it easier for myself the next time around.

Anyway, there's the 411 on my juice cleanse/diet detox. I'll be posting updates as I go along. Don't worry, I'll spare you the gory details! ;) ...maybe.