Picking a good place to whine...

[Res]

Sometimes ya just have to whine... Here, this is only fair:

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/images/wineandcheese.jpg

I was planning to start the cleanse the Friday after Easter. However, after a swab test I've just found out that my adrenals are shot which equates to ANXIETY and I'm producing too much\not enough? (cortisol) which equates to STRESS.

Now, I'm generally a very happy person (quite goofy really) but lately I've been someone I don't even know! (only a very few know what's happening on the inside because I don't let it outside)

I can't figure out if the stress caused the problems or the problems caused the stress because like every other human on the planet I have things going on in life that I'm forced to deal with.

I hate it when this stuff sneaks up on me and pounces....I do have to admit that one big issue was a bad choice I made and I'm paying for it...but this too shall pass and it's not permanent. The worst is over and I'll have breathing room soon.

You'd think my M.D. would have figured this out from the massive quanties of blood the lab took for blood tests over a month ago...but NO, a homeopathic doctor a entire State away diagnosed me from my saliva!!

I have the darkest circles under my eyes, I've been dead tired, moody (I'm NEVER moody!) REALLY sensitive emotionally and just plain unhappy. PLUS, I'm on armor thyroid and was just told that if I don't take hydrocortisone with it it can lead to heart disease. Uh...I looked up hydrocortisone on the Internet and it doesn't have anything to do with adrenals or thyroid as far as I can see...it's about inflamation and allergies or something. Anyway, my boss told me not to take it (she knows her stuff) so I'm going to look into natural methods for adrenals. Why do the doctors tell us stuff like this? $$?

I want my otter mentality back! :)

http://www.otter.trebone.cz/images/otterlook_small.jpg


I don't expect answers to pop out of the walls here. :) Just venting... Soph's heard an earful. I still may cleanse if I can get on track. I'm only up about 4 lbs but it feels like 15 for some reason...I feel weighted down and just plain sad.

There's some vindication here because I'm incredibly hard on myself all of the time. My head tells me, "Quit being an emotional wimp. You're stronger than this. What are you doing? You don't have any right to act like this..." blah, blah, blah and so on. So finding out that I DO HAVE A RIGHT to act like this....makes it easier for me to not act like this but to acknowledge that I need "fixin". :)

Hopefully this vent helps someone out there. Right now I feel rivers of love gushing out for everyone where ever you are in life right now.
http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/love059.gif

The Doctors office (homeopathic) told me to be good to myself. To be patient and only be around people who love me (how cute is that? :)) and treat me tenderly because I need care right now. Anyone want to snuggle up? lol Ok, so perhaps all the "goofy" hasn't disappeared. ;)

*Smooches and love to you all,
~Res

[peanutterb]

**Big HUG to you Res**

[Dreams]

Hello Today, my Dear, Sweet Res!

I just ended my MC2 4 days ago after an incredibly embarrassing episode with unconsciousness and paramedics while at work!

I can SO relate to some of what you are feeling. :(

You are so much our inspiration here! Its somehow nice to know you are a real person, although sad to hear you are kind of down right now.

I am so proud of you for finding a Homeopath to do the Saliva Test for depleted Adrenals! I suffer with depleted adrenals also, but of course no help from my M.D. and I don't know of a good Homeopath. So I just struggle with the exhaustion and the mood swings and the incredible long laundry list of symptoms that go with it. You should be able to supplement with Natural Remedies and do better eventually. Takes time from what I understand.

I have screwed up real bad on my dietary intake after this second MC. The day I broke was the day I passed out and Ron and I went quickly to Sweet Tomatoes for soup and salad right after the goofy paramedics released me! I just wanted so badly to really eat something. I have gained 6 lbs in 4 days and I am so disgusted with myself for that. You said you've gained 4 lbs but it feels like 15! Ha! That's almost word for word what I said to a friend this morning! I said I've gained back 6 lbs and it feels like 20! I really hate that part, because I am really needing to reduce my weight for health reasons. Not to mention for aesthetic reasons as well!! :)

So be good to yourself, like the advice you were given recommends! You are such a Sweet Heart! We all adore you here and venting is a great release sometimes. Look how valuable it was for Sophie during her immensley, incredibly, really, really, long super cleanse! She is a doll too! :)

You will heal now, Res, and become whole again. Your adrenals being depleted could honestly be the entire reason for all the negative you are feeling right now. It is mind boggling how much our Hormones really affect our sense of balance and well being.

So begin today to relax and rest. Take one thing at a time and weigh each one thing against what ever it is you need. Let go of that which doesn't belong, and hold on to that which completes you. You deserve to be comforted and wrapped in love, even if you have to do it yourself! ;)

~ smooches back at 'cha ~ Dreams

[Res]

peanutturb: Thank you for the sweet hug. I felt it all the way over here! :)


~Dreams: You know the person on TV who's laughing hysterically one moment and then in tears the next? Well during the reading of your post that was me! :) Thank you for your kind words. *hug*

Geez, unconscious! :o Are you OK? How long were you cleansing? Sometimes it can be a bit scary doing the cleanse, regardless of what others say! Did the food help? And I'm dying to know what the paramedics said! ;D

On my first cleanse when I hit Day 18 I was driving home from work and the freeway tilted sideways... I had to do MASSIVE amounts of self talk to balance out and make sure I didn't hit another driver. The dizziness hit me without warning. I should've pulled over to the side of the road...I didn't but drove all the way home. I went for 6 more days and then ended the cleanse because I didn't want it to happen again and end up hurting someone. Probably should've ended then and there.

I'm going to the local health food store tomorrow to find some adrenal meds and some B vitamins that I'm told I'm severely deficient in. Thank you again for the encouragement. :)

Love,
~Res

[ladydee]

((((((( RES! )))))))) Hey Hon! Missed you, lots.

and ((((( Dreams )))))) & ((((( Peanut ))))


- Whine all you want, just get well, you 2, in yr own ways and manners.

- i too have had thyroid / adrenaline issues - self diagnosed but quite real.

- Have been taking some new supplements and can already feel a positive difference, in just a week.

If interested, they are Thyrosense and AdrenaSense, both available at www.naturalfactors.com or your local health food stores and not that expensive.

- Must run errands . . . and exercise *now* (or i won't) but

sending love and healing thoughts and hugs to all &
i'll check on you later on today, aight? :)

[peanutterb]

more **HUGS** all around
I'm in a very affectionate mood lately
I want everyone to be happy and feel good
and feel loved

[Dreams]

Hi Guys!

Never had a minute yesterday to get to my computer so just now checking in before leaving for work!

Res - The paramedics that worked with me last week were absolutely convinced they knew EXACTLY what had happened to me once they were told I had been fasting for 10 days! But they were wrong. :)

They immediately declared I was in a state of extreme low blood sugar. So they tested it. It read 123. Completely normal. They thought they had made an error and got my permission for a second finger prick! Still 123. "Just to verify what has already been said, can you please tell us again how long it has been since you've eaten?" They couldn't believe it! :)

Blood pressure was a bit low, but I had been lying on the floor for a long time before they got there and they explained that possibly when I got to a sitting position it would come up some. It did. They continued to monitor over the next hour and B.P. and blood sugars perfectly balanced and no further dizziness or disturbance. Except for some embarrassment on my part. Nothing else. No explanation. I was able to walk out of there and head for my favorite salad and soup bar in about an hour and a half after the whole thing started! :)

I had just begun to break a 10 day MC. It was my first day on Grapefruit juice. What I had done different was that I decided to continue to use the Cayenne Pepper after my cleanse because of the wonderful, healing and health promoting benefits of it. I absolutely HATE Cayenne Pepper though, so I took it in a capsule form. I took a whole lot of it, by the way. More capsules than I should have. And only probably 20 oz of juice with it. When that stuff got free from those little gel caps and hit me in the gut, I honestly felt like I was going to explode in a burst of flames! My insides were burning and churning and my body temperature went sky high. I began to sweat and had an urgent, relentless elimination just before the unconsciousness. Lovely. I passed out in a public restroom in an extremely busy major airport, and was tended two by two gorgeous paramedics while still lying on the bathroom floor! Great! Anyway, no ideas about what happened except maybe a Cayenne overdose thing!

So now all is well and I'm back to work. My dear friends and colleagues at the airport are doing the "I told you so" thing every time they see me now. I think I have really done some damage to the Master Cleanse's reputation with those folks. Not that any of them believed it to be the wonderful, healing tool it is anyway. But I feel kind of bad about it, just the same. I hate for all those people to think the episode was really BEACAUSE of the Cleanse. But I can't change the world. They are really enjoying themselves, lecturing me and warning me never to do it again and stuff like that. Ha! I'll do what I damn well please and will continue to respect my body and my own state of health in my own way. I probably won't be doing another MC until the end of June or first of July however. I don't look forward to them calling me stupid when they see me with my Lemonade Lunch at that time, but I'll deal. I always do. The truth is, I am not stupid. Never have been. Never will be. No matter what they think. God bless those know it all people! Most of them I have known for over 20 years. No matter what is said or done, we have great histories together in the Airline business. :)

So on another note, I'm interested in Ladydee's suggestion to look at AdrenaSense as a supplement. (Hi ladydee! Missed you! Good to see you here!) I need to be in my car headed for the airport in 10 mins so gotta go, girls. Duty calls . . . ~ Dreams ~ :)

[Res]

Ladydee: *Thanks for the response. *It's been a hectic week to say the least. *Trying to deal with all of this stuff and other things going on as well. *

I decided to go ahead and start the cleanse this Friday no matter what. *That will mean the Adrenal caps and Vit B caps that I picked up and started will be stopped on Friday. *B Vitamins make me queasy on an empty stomach and well, my stomach will be empty. *My health food store didn't have the brand you recommended but I'm hoping the "Raw Adrenal" will work.

Thanks so much for sending love and thoughts. *It's much appreciated. *I should be as good as new in a few months. *Just really not looking forward to the "healing" time. *You know, the "going through it" part. *And I absolutely hate being on *the receiving end* of all this but I'm so grateful to everyone for your kindness.

I'm absolutely dreading work tomorrow and absolutely don't want to deal with it and wishing there was a way to bypass it for a few weeks (This is so NOT me). *Thank you for the encouragement. *Love you. *:)



peanutterb: Thank you for spreading the love around. :) *(I'll try to spell your name right this time too ;))




~Dreams: *Yikes! Talk about a cayenne rush! *I'll keep that in mind. *Yeah, there's nothing like waking up on a bathroom floor in an airport! *You poor thing. Was someone with you when you went down? *And I hope you didn't hit your head. *

I passed out in a public restroom in an extremely busy major airport, and was tended two by two gorgeous paramedics while still lying on the bathroom floor! Oh my, well if you're going to be on the floor in an airport I suppose being there with two gorgeous paramedics is the way to go. *LOL * ;D

(I don't know why I get the impression that because we're not in one of the main threads that we're sequestered in some remote part of the board in total privacy. *Duh... *Now I'm whispering.... ;))

I'm glad to hear that you're doing well now. Let the naysavers shake their heads...you have to DO the cleanse to KNOW the cleanse. *It's just best to not tell anyone but if they recognized your Lemonade bottle, oh well. *

Well I'm going to get going to prepare for the day tomorrow. *I haven't felt this reluctant to move in eons. *To everyone reading this whether cleansing or not or stressing or not hang in there. *:)

Love you tons,
~Res

[Res]

Oh, p.s. Dreams. If you'd like the name, number and instructions for the Dr. (Homeopath) I'm using let me know and I'll PM you with the info. :)

Love,
~Res

[Dreams]

Hi Res!

Way too cool! I would love the name, number and instructions for the Homeopath! Send it in a PM sometime when you have time! I'll watch for it, and thanks so much!

Today is good. Had a small bowl of beautiful mixed berries for breakfast and really enjoyed them. I have gotten attached again to my black tea habit, though. I like strong, sweet tea served very hot in my favorite tea cup. It is a lifelong ritual for me, really. Always made the same way, in the same order, with the same utensils and so on. And always made by myself. Never have been interested in, or satisfied with a cup of tea made for me by someone else! Isn't THAT odd? Well, yes it is odd, but I am who I am! :)

My mean old Granny got me started on it when I was only 5 years old! She did it to spite my Mom. Mom had asked her NOT to give me any tea or coffee and especially not to load me up on refined sugars! So Granny coupled the tea and sugar and gave me carte blanche access to it whenever we were together, her and I! She was a kind of wicked, old granny. I called her Granny Grinch when I was younger, and my Mom used to scold me for it! Little did she know how very "grinchly" the old woman really was! Black tea and Sugar! Served to a 5 year old, pot after pot after pot! Ha! My mother should have invented the nanny cam! Of course it would have been called the "granny" cam, but either way it would have been the only way for her to have stopped my eventual bad habit from forming! I certainly wasn't going to tell her and stop my sugary sweet tea treats at Grandma's house! Anyway, I ended up really using that hot, sweet tea for many things in my life. A quick sugary, caffeine get going thing. A slow warm, sweet, cozy comfort thing. A long talk with a friend on the phone thing. Or just something to drink with a meal or snack thing. Then theres the "I just got home from work" thing. And the "I just woke up from a nap" thing. And many others. I just love it! The only positive thing about my tea habit and the MC I can think of is that I no longer use artificial sweeteners of any kind. I've tried stevia and raw sugar products. I have made a committment to no more artificial sweeteners in anything. EVER.

I did better leaving it alone after my 29 day fast in January. This second MC of 10 days has left me binging on all things un-healthy for some reason. But I'm trying to do better and that is an improvement over not even thinking about those kind of things, I guess. :)

Sorry. I'm rambling here. So have a great today in whatever you do. I'm enjoying a day off with Ron. Sarah (17) is taking driver's ed. after school and won't be home till 5:00, so we have a nice, long day with no interruptions! We are going out to look at some Model Homes in our area. Not in the market, mind you. But maybe someday . . . . .

thanks in advance for the Homeopath info, Res! :)

Bye for awhile . . . ~ Dreams ~

[Res]

~Dreams: What a LOVELY post! I grinned all the way through it and I LOVED what you said about the tea, utensils, made by you the same way, but on the phone, after work, etc etc. Loved it! ;D It sounds so comforting and homey. :)

I love tea as well but was introduced to REAL English tea by a REAL English man. ;D He even made me a cup once so now I can say that I was served tea by an Englishman ;) - which is a big deal to me because I have a passion for just about anything English, food, culture, language, *accents* ;) ...except for blood pudding or something like that, yuck....or what's the other weird named thing, speckled dick (or pickled?) or something? hahaha I actually can't believe I typed that but I'm going to leave it. http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy051.gif

Anyway your Granny sounds like a nut! I like her. :) I'm really glad you're having a nice day without interruptions. You need that now and again. :) And you're not rambling at all. This was a rather pleasant surprise.

I'm having a good day today. Got a few things ironed out which really helps. Next week will be hell and I'm doing all I can to prepare for it. Thinking about doing a modified cleanse this week (so officially it won't be the MC) and then a week from this weekend going all out on another cleanse. We'll see... the vitamins and other stuff might be more important than cleansing right now....but my eating habits have been rather horrid, so I started making changes there and feel good about it, plus I started exercising again (which seems to be my continual nemesis).

I love you guys. I love the familiarity that comes with going through cleanses with all of you and going through cleanse hell with all of you as well. :)

Keep in touch, please.


Shout out to SOPH!! My brave, adorable "In the trenches" Mate. :)

Signing off English-ish:

Cheers!
~Res

[Dreams]

Hello Again!

Thank you so much Res, for the Homeopathic connection! I got my pm and am definately getting in touch with them tomorrow! Great Info!! Thanks again!

Today is a yukky day. Intense physical labor for many hours assisting a 400 lb handicapped friend with her many needs getting in and out to run errands and do other things. Getting her and her electric wheelchair in and out of the car with no hydraulics is really tiring. For HER and for ME! And then there is the added element of a (beautiful) one year old baby (her grand baby whom she has adopted), and her Mother who has Alzheimer's! It is really exhausting for me spending a day with them, I can't even imagine what is like BEING them! I can never say no when they need help, which is often, I assure you.

So on top of the intense physical labor, which is no joking matter if you knew what all is involved there, there is the fact that I haven't had access to enough water or liquid of any kind today and I'm dehydrated now. I also broke my brand new, awesome little magnetic sun shades that were custom made to go with my new glasses. They were so VERY cool. It was so great to have sunglasses I could use to drive and such. I will miss those, even though I haven't had them very long. They were really neat ones. Then theres the horrible menstrual cramping that I am truly tired of getting. I am having 2 to 3 periods every 30 days or so and my Dr. says "Hmmm. That sucks. Well, thanks for stopping by today, Oh! and be sure and leave your 20 dollar co-pay on your way out. Don't let the door hit you in the ass as you pass by the lobby on your way to your car! Come see me again next year!" Ha! What a joke they are. Not a funny joke, by the way. More like a bad joke. A very bad joke.

So anyway, yukky day, like I said. I am home now and comfortable with two bottles of cold water by my side. But Ron and Sarah are looking to me to magically whip up some kind of wonderful meal for some reason. I absolutely love to cook. In a way its a curse. I'm not 20 anymore. Lets just say I've been doing it long enough to have perfected some fabulous foods to serve at home and people begin to expect something fabulous at every meal. How about a tuna sandwhich once in a while, folks? Or maybe just heat up a bag of frozen peas or something, and leave me the heck alone!

I'm so annoyed right now. The one bright spot in my day was finding my pm from my sweet Res! What a lovely gesture for you to share that with me. I'll let you know what I find out!

Bye for now................ ~ Dreams ~

[Res]

~Dreams~ You're just cracking me up about the dinner. :) Hey yeah, even fabulous cooks\moms\wives need a break from the kitchen every so often. The tuna idea sounds good to me!

Sorry about the heavy "load" I can only imagine. Of course before the cleanse I hoisted myself up and down so... ;)


Seems as if we've both had hellish days today. Mine won't be any better for a few weeks and will be building up here shortly. Dreading tomorrow. Haven't been through stuff like this in a long long time. Seems like I'm losing my mind in a situation that seems crystal clear and yet I can't get a good grasp on it. Very puzzling. Anyway, blah, blah, blah.

The bleeding that you're going through: Would it have anything to do with uterine fibroids? Have they checked for that?

Yes keep me posted on what Dr. Ber finds. It's amazing what they can diagnose in a bit of saliva.

I hope things are better for you tomorrow. :)

Going to force myself to exercise now.

*Smooches & Love,
~Res

[MSamm]

Your post perked my interest as one fof the reasons I decided to start my third MC was I was feeling quite fatigued, depressed, no interets in anyting, solitary and am also being screened for Cervical Cancer which just compounds the worry and depression. But I thought maybe i have this adrenal problem as well. So I went online and being a yoga junkie I came across this article for an Ayurvedic Approach to Adrenal Deficiency.

http://www.bytheplanet.com/WorldHealth/Ayurveda/ayurvedicapproach.htm

It goes on a tirade at first about the effects of caffiene etc on the body and metablism and adrenals... but towards the end they talk about herbs and vitamins that can help greatly.

Worth a shot if you are somewhat against the wonders of our ever failing and frightening health care system. I live in Florida and it's the worst here. For my cervical issue I saw a woman for 8 months... 7 times in 8 months did i sit in her office for over two hours for her to see me for maybe ten minutes and diagnose with this horrid ailment. Finally after a biopsy and many more tests she told me again after a two hour wait (I guess my time is not as important as hers) that she wanted to move radically and do a procedure that would effect my ability to have children. I am single and have no children. I went for a second opinion and this doctor in the first five minutes of my physcial exam told me that I have what he thought were fibroids. Did I know? I saw the other woman 7x in 8 mos and she NEVER ONCE said a word about this.

Interesting. Frightening. Makes me feel like my health is in my own hands.

Just thought I would share.

[Res]

MSamm, I hate to say this but, "your health IS in your own hands". I've said those same words to myself and others over and over again.

Not sure if the medical industry is just swamped, doesn't care or greedy. There "are" some really nice people out there in the field who do care - but it seems to be rare.

I do the same thing; I go online or talk to people (non-medical field) who I trust and work out a lot of things on my own.

Thanks for the info you provided. :) I use Dr. Mercola's info a lot. www.mercola.com

I was a bit disappointed with the homeopathic dr I use, because they sold me $$ worth of prescriptions and supplements. If it wasn't for my boss, I would have paid wads more for meds I don't really need. She's bright and knows her stuff and questioned a few of the things they recommended. So even there I'm disillusioned.

I'm feeling better though and cleansing now (while) taking the supplements and I'm doing fine. Ya have to do what you have to do. :)

Take care and thanks again! :)

Love,
~Res

[Grand_Mommy_Kira]

Hello LEMONHEADS!

Just found this thread.

I just want to send all my LOVE and HUGS to all of you!

Res, I am sorry I wasn't around and did not know the latest. Please let me know if I can lend a shoulder or anything! ***smooches***tight hugs!***

We certainly go through a lot to reclaim our health. I had Res and Deb to help me last Fall when I had my scary episode and ended up in the emergency room and then had to have a colonoscopy. Like your stories, all the doctors blamed the MC and thought I was crazy and lectured me harshly. They even rolled their eyes at me! Turns out I was bleeding because I had two internal hemmoroids. Burroughs' book says that can happen from lack of roughage. I also had low potassium because I decided I was feeling so well I quit taking my blood pressure med's. My mistake. Finally, my colon walls were all spotted dark from taking the lax tea for soooo very long-3 months straight. It's reversible. So, no permanent harm done.

I just want to hug all of you tight and make it all better.

I wish you much, much love, healing and joy!

Kira Moon

[Res]

Kira, you're such a Sweetie. :)

I'm doing better now. Thanks so much for your love and concern.

Love you tons,
~Res

[Ronnie]

RES,
I'm just learning to navigate on this page. It's a little confusing for me, please pardon my answering you on this particular page but when I went to post an answer to you, it kept taking me back to the "Your not logged on page" Anyway, I found myself here, so I'll say.....Thank You; thank you for your answer to my questions. This is Ronnie by the way (sorry). I do feel much better today. It actually started yesterday evening I had a sudden burst of energy....WOW!! Today started a little sluggish but much better, the dizzyness and brain fog are virtually gone. I spent almost 4 hours on this site yesterday just reading and reading, and It really helps to know so many people are going through the same symptoms. I wil definately make the MC a way of life from now on. Your answer and input put me at ease...
I continue to feel very hungry...but don't crave food. Just the thought of all the mexican food i make for my hubby when he comes home from work....no temptation just the thought...funny feeling. This journey is certainly exciting. Have you ever done the liver cleanse?
Bye for now, and thanks again.......Ronnie

[Res]

Hi Ronnie,

No worries, the same thing was happening to me when I tried to post. I had to log in again. :)

You're welcome. I'm SO GLAD you read through the threads! So many questions get answered and you DO feel so much better either knowing what to expect or that you're not alone when you're experiencing something.

Sometimes it's trying to cook for and feed a family while cleansing, but I had a breakthrough a few cleanses ago when I cooked for my son and simply inhaled the aroma's. I could enjoy the smell without tasting or going nuts. ~It's all in the mind~ Once your mind is made up, you can complete the cleanse easily. It doesn't mean you won't be longing for Mexican food! ;)

Completing the cleanse is worth it. Keep going cuz you'll be done before you know it! :D

Love,
~Res

[Ronnie]

RES,
Thanks again for the encouragement.
:confused: May i ask you, do you know if the MC and infared saunas mix. I have a portable infrared and want to use it, but am not sure I can. Ronnie

[Res]

Ronnie,

I've seen other members post that they use Saunas, but I don't know anything about the portable type. :(

~Res

[gillmoli]

I wasn't sure where to post this, so I chose this thread to do it.

I'm finishing up with day 14 today. Last night my best friend (of 18 years) came up to NY to visit for the weekend. She went out to eat, sushi, which i love so much, and I tagged along with her. I did fine, I had my lemonade with me. Then today, I actually cooked her and my husband eggs with their biscuits and cheese...that was more difficult. Then...we all went out this afternoon for happy hour at our favorite bar, where they not only drank my favorite drinks, but brought in food from next door (more japanese food) and ate it in front of me. I told them I was okay with it. Which I said i was, but I really wasn't. Not only were they eating one of my favorite dishes ever, but they were getting buzzed and having a great time. Now, it's 11pm, they're out in the livingroom drinking, eating yummy snacks, and singing along with Grease on tv. I am so miserable right now! I don't want to have a pity party, but I don't know if I can keep this up. I don't want to ruin the one chance to see my friend by being all cranky (p.s. I got my period today-cramps, irritability etc.) and pissy.

My goal is 21 days, i know the healing benefits are amazing and I need to do that for my body, but this is mentally and emotionally driving me crazy. I'm so unhappy right now and I don't know what to do.

Ugh...this is so hard right now. I know it's day 14, a major detox day, but COME ON!

thanks for letting me vent and cry online.

~gillmoli

[Res]

Lissa!

*hug, Hug, HUG! It's OK. The weekends can be REALLY tough, especially when people you're hanging out with aren't sharing your pain. :(

You've come too far to quit now! Besides, you still have to break the cleanse properly or you'll suffer for it.

SO, realizing that you have cramps, you have cravings but you want to have fun, make a huge glass of Lemonade and join the party...drink water, drink lemonade but hang in there and try to make the best of it. Treat it as if you're in "Boot Camp".

You'll be able to have those snacks and fun, but it's just postponed for a short while. ONE MORE WEEK! You can do it! :D I'm pulling for you!

Love,
~Res

p.s. I wanted to come back and add that what you're experiencing would be difficult for me too.

[llemmers]

Hey Lissa,

Sorry you're having such a rough time tonight. I would be too! The only thing I can think of was when I quit smoking. That was a long time ago, but I still remember the STRONG cravings!!! There were moments I thought I would lose my mind... no kidding. I really wanted to quit, but the cravings were driving me mad at times. The way I made it through those times were to take it not one day at a time, nor 1 hour at a time, but 5 minutes at a time.

It's kind of a mental psych game. I would tell myself in 5 minutes I will have a smoke, but not right now. I could abstain from smoking for 5 minutes, but to think I would never smoke again was too unbearable to grasp. I would repeat as often until the cravings passed.

I have used this same technique at other times as well. Even on the cleanse I have had to tell myself I am going to eat ... tomorrow, but today I choose to stick this out. Obviously I know what I'm really doing, but there's something to be said about one day at a time.

You have come so far. I know you don't want to give it up, but I totally sympathize with how hard it must be to hang around friends eating and drinking all the food and drinks you love. Hang in there. We're only 1 day off on this thing. Today is day 15 for me. I can hardly believe we went 2 whole weeks without food. It's almost scary :)

Keep us posted,
Luke

[laura1814]

Hang in there, girl. You've come a long way! I was wondering about how you were managing this weekend.

I found myself asking all the same questions last night. I am on Day 3 and no weight loss, still retaining water, and dreaming about all the good food in the kitchen. Not even junk food, just food. Why I am I doing this again? No energy, sleepy. I know this is supposed to be a difficult time, but still!

Sound familiar?

A friend of mine who helped me decide to do this told me that dealing with emotions is one of the unexpected aspects of cleansing. Difficult emotions come up, sometimes in dreams, sometimes in an "overreaction" to something, sometimes for no reason at all. This is part of the detox, which is not just physical but also emotional and spiritual. The hard part is to let all this stuff come up, then let it go.

Some philosophical guru once said: "we aren't human beings having a spiritual experience: we are spiritual beings having a human experience." The MC may sound all physical, but it cannot possibly be.

hugs,

Laura

[gillmoli]

Res, Luke, and Laura,

You are all such wonderful people! Thank you all so very, very much for helping me to get through such a horrible night. *Hugs* to you all. I really needed to hear some words of support and you all were right there for me. This bb absolutely amazes me in how perfect strangers can be so honest, generous, and supportive.

Last night actually ended up worse for a while, but as we all know, it passed this morning. I honestly never thought it would be so difficult. But, I did it! Today was much, much better as well. It's now 8pm eastern time (Sunday), so techincally, day 15 is finished! Just tea and then bed.

Res: Thank you for your words of wisdom. Boot camp is definitely an appropriate analogy. And I will absolutely stick to the proper "breaking" of the fast...don't want to be more sick than I was before I started the cleanse :-) ONE MORE WEEK!!

Luke: Wow. You are truly the strongest person I know. Never having been a smoker, I have no idea what the cravings are like, but I can only guess that they would feel as strong as the feelings I get when I'm super PMSing and extremely irritable that I want to punch a wall...a bit dramatic, I know. What a great way to get through it. 5 minutes is definitely a reasonable amount of time to get through anything...I'm going to do that from now on. We can all get through 5 minutes! Congrats on day 15! It is amazing how 2 weeks have passed and we haven't eaten anything. Not much longer now!

Laura: Thank you so much for thinking of me over the weekend. You're so sweet! :-) You are absolutely right about emotions. And the part about letting the "overreactions" go has always been a difficult thing in my life. This cleanse is helping me to train myself to let it all go...I think that's why I've been so sick for so many years...holding onto too much "crap": literal and emotional crap. Thank you, thank you for the wonderful quote. I completely agree with it and have to remind myself of that all the time. Spiritual beings having a human experience...so true. And you too, hang in there! You know it will happen for you too and that the first 3 days are the worst. You CAN do it! I believe in you. I believe in us all to do what we need to do to make ourselves happy and healthy.

Onto day 16 tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it. It's my day off so I plan on exercising first thing, working on my writing, and then treating myself to some delicious, healing lemonade and then maybe pamper myself by going to the park.

Thank you all again so much for your support. I hope that I can be just as supportive for you when you need it. Just let me know. I'm always here!

*hugs* and warm fuzzies!
~Lissa

[llemmers]

Way to go Lissa,

I knew you could do it! One more week to go... you're in the final stretch.

I'm shooting for 40 days or more, so I've got a ways to go yet. Today was a pretty good day, but I seem to have a hard time getting my 6 glasses in each day on the weekends. I tend to sleep in on the weekends and that sets my whole routine back a few hours. Yesterday I got 5 lemonades down and today about 5.5. I guess not the worst thing, though.

I gotta share something kinda funny... I have always had a sweet tooth and one little thing I do that I, suprisingly, really look forward to is this:

When I make my lemonades I add two Tbs lemon juice, and then pour one Tbs MS and dump in in. Instead of using that measuring spoon to stir the drink, I put the spoon in my mouth and I just savore the pure MS. It's absolutely devine! OK, even typing that sounds absolutley nuts, but it's something I really look forward to.

I'll share one more thing... on occasion, I've even wrapped my lips right on the MS bottle and taken a shot straight up. Granted, I've only done this about 4 times in 16 days, and only taken about 1/3 to 1/2 Tbs each time, but it has taken the edge off when I needed it.

OK, now the "dirty laundry" is out on the table.

Well, take care all. One day at a time (or 5 minutes at a time if needed).

Luke

[gillmoli]

Luke,

You are hilarious...and human. I've done that SO many times on this cleanse. The other day I took a little swig too! It's okay. I know they say it can spike your blood sugar, but if you're doing it just before having a lemonade, how much harm can it do?

Anyway, it's not dirty laundry and you're definitely not nuts. I commend you for getting through this any way you can. I know you can do it as I know I can too.

Day 16 is nearly over for me and I feel great today. My only concern: should I still be craving "bad" foods at this point? I have mouth-watering visions of grilled cheese sandwiches, mac and cheese, pizza, my mother-in-law's Thai cooking, and all kinds of other horrible foods. Have you been experiencing this at all? Again, it usually hits when I start to feel hungry and then I have a lemonade, but shouldn't I be craving things like my favorite almond butter on brown rice bread with a little maple syrup, or lightly steamed veggies or other "healthy" foods?

Just wondering if I was the only one...it can be so hard sometimes! ;-(

Okay, off I go, but I wanted you to know that I did the same sneaky little maple syrup trick. It's okay!

Have a great day and keep up the good work!

~Lissa

[laura1814]

Okay, I've thought about taking the maple syrup by the teaspoon, but I've not done it because I have hypoglycemia and I don't want it to send me too far up and too far down. But I do lick the top of the bottle so that it won't drip! :-)

Lissa, I'm glad you made it through your weekend. Sounds tough-- but not as tough as getting through a family dinner party with foods you love! We are planning one of those for later in the week and I'm not sure how I'll manage.

Luke, keep it up. 40 days is amazing! This cleanse is not for sissies! (So says Res!)

Lissa, I read your blog post for the day, and congrats on the size 6 jeans being loose! Sigh, I remember that.

I am really bloated today and very tired and I am having to pay more attention to the timing of the lemonade due to my hypoglycemia. I want food!!

I am starting to notice the more acute sense of smell that some people have mentioned. My car smells funny!

Lissa, I don't know the "right" answer about whether you "should" be dreaming about which kinds of food, but I have read that whatever you crave, you lose with the next morning's eliminations. I think it's Peter who says that. Yet another example of the mind/body connection. Also I don't think there is a "right" answer because what you should be doing is what you are doing! Your body is detoxing and everyone's body is different, so everyone has a different experience.

That said, I sure wish some of this fluid would drop off! I don't need to gain any more weight, thanks! I am letting go. I am letting go. I am letting go.

The philosopher who said the bit about being spiritual beings was Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. I don't know anything else about him.

Laura

[Res]

Luke: LOL
Been there, done that. ;) Isn't pure maple syrup heavenly?



Lissa:
Wow, Day 16! :)

If you've spent your whole life eating healthy foods, then I would think that you would crave those. (This is just me thinking out loud). If you've spent your whole life NOT eating those types of food, then I don't know if you would necessarily completely lose the craving for foods you're familiar with...again, thinking out loud.

I know that if I eat healthy most of the time, it IS the healthy food I'm drawn too. Oh What a Dark Green salad can do for me! *sigh* Oooh, and you said cheese. Well, try the Kerrigold Cheddar from Ireland. Most stores have it. Amazing...it's how cheese is supposed to be made and taste!

Honestly though, we're flooded by food Ads, assaulted actually on a daily basis and it's usually fast food. We don't spend enough time being hungry, because the moment we get a little twinge we pop something into our mouths. I think eating less will help us to make better food choices.



Laura:
Feeling for you regarding the smell thing. Yes, you do develop an acute sense of smell - for good and bad things! :)

Take care everyone!
Love,
~Res

[gillmoli]

Thanks guys! You two are sweet.

Laura: You can do it! Family dinners during the cleanse can really suck! Last night I met up with the family as well, but fortunately it was at this not so desireable Chinese restaurant and they ate things like squid, duck liver, and fried whole flounder (bones too!) Yuck! I don't like any of those things, unless of course the squid is prepared a la calamari! I was lucky. If it were at their place, it would have been VERY difficult to get through the night. My one suggestion: keep yourself busy. Even if everyone is eating at the table, try to occupy yourself in some way or another...hopefully you'll have people there that you have a lot in common with so you will have much to talk about. The language barrier is my problem: I don't speak Thai!! But, if I had someone to talk to or something to do, like watch tv (I know that's horrible, but who cares!) then it wouldn't have been so hard.

And thanks for the info on the philosopher! I'll check him out. And I really like what you said: what you should be doing is what you are doing. That's absolutely true! I think we often forget that. Too many shoulds and must do's that we put upon ourselves. Time to let that go! Remind me what day you're on now? I think you're quite towards the beginning, right? Just know that it will come off! It did for me when I least expected it too. I was feeling really down that it was all just sitting there, then around day 13, I really started to feel it. Keep your chin up! It will happen. Stay focused on your goal and it will come to you! ;-)

Res: Thank you for reminding me about my life's eating habits ;-) of course that's exactly what I would crave, everything that's familiar to me. It makes perfect sense. So, as you say, if I just start eating healthy as much as possible, then I'll start to crave healthy foods the next time I do the cleanse and even during my normal day to day life. Can't wait to crave healthy foods!

Thanks to all of you for your support. Again, it's truly what's allowed me to get through this cleanse. If I didn't have the BB to come to when I needed it, I don't know what I'd do!

Here I come, day 17!! Watch out 'cause I'm gonna get you!

~Lissa

[laura1814]

Lissa,

I'm on Day 5. Halfway through! Not quite as bloated as yesterday, but still showing a net gain (1 pound) on the scale. SWF this morning is, um, interesting. Clearly my body is still holding on to lots of crap. I am letting go. I am letting go. I am letting go.

Glad you got through your dinner. You go, girl!

Laura

[gillmoli]

Laura,

Day 5! That's great! You'll feel better most definitely by day 7...at least I did. I know I was really feeling bloated too, but I chalked that up to my pms...oh, and thank god I didn't have cramps like I normally do! It's been an okay period. I never thought I'd say that!

Do you visualize the "crap" literally leaving your body after you do the swf? I try to imagine all the negativity, toxins, fat, and countless other things leaving everytime I sprint to the toilet whilst holding my behind...that's a funny image in and of itself! Anyway, it really helps me to feel like I'm willing it to leave and never come back.

But, one thing I'm scared of, as I think are most people, is the weight coming back (as well as the toxins). I'm almost tempted to stay on the cleanse longer just to avoid having to eat again. I know that sounds a little crazy, but I just finally feel so darn good that I don't ever want to be what I was before. This really is a security blanket...not that I have huge problems with food, but I almost feel that this cleanse could set me up to be annorexic! That's a bit of an overstatement, but I think you know what I mean. I'm so hooked on feeling good about myself, how my clothes feel, the confidence, etc, that I don't want it to go away. I guess that's what the "After the Cleanse" board is for. Res is great for setting people straight. Maybe she'll have a few cents to chip in about my recent fears :-)

I'd also read that someone ate watermelon on their first full day off the cleanse. Is this true and is this okay? I'm not a huge oj fan, too sweet for me, and I thought this would be a great alternative when I read it. Any thoughts on this?

Sorry...i know this is a long one. I've just had a lot of thoughts going through my head about what to do. Oh, and also, should I continue past 21 days if my tongue is not clear and I'm still seeing "stuff" after my tea and swf? I just want to do this thoroughly the first time.

Thanks to you all...sorry for the long post.

~Lissa

[laura1814]

Lissa,

I read somewhere that the gallbladder dumps its bile on Day 16. Did you experience that?

Yes, I definitely try to think about flushing out toxins and all bad stuff literally.

Watermelon sounds great. I am planning grapefruit and V8 juice. Haven't heard anyone mention V8 juice, but it seems so obvious! I'm not a big OJ fan either; usually I find it too acidic, but maybe if the cleanse really has reset my body's pH it won't bother me anymore. I am not planning to go meatless though I do like the raw foods concept and have been consciously trying to eat more raw foods. I would like to be able to afford to buy nothing but organic meats and dairy, including raw dairy, but that's just not realistic right now.

I just had my first cup of lemonade and it seemed really sweet, like I accidentally put three tablespoons of maple syrup instead of two. Very strange!

I haven't lost any weight yet, so I'm not worried about gaining any back! :-P Wish I had that problem, but honestly, I don't care, so long as the cleanse resets everything. My old eating plan (which works great except during CFS relapses) is pretty strict, but when it works it works so well that it's very easy to follow. If the cleanse can just get me back on track with that, the weight will come off.

I know exactly what you mean about wanting to keep yourself on the "high" and being afraid of coming down. But I think that even if you stuck to the cleanse for 60 days you would still have ups and downs. Every day can't be a high, or there would be no highs.

Laura

[gillmoli]

Laura,

Well, as far as the gall bladder goes, I'm not sure. I'm thinking that may be happening today. I've sort of been off from the normal "detox" days, usually by about a day, and I've actually had some slight pain where my gall bladder is. A few years ago I had a sonogram that indicated I had a gall stone, but it eventually went away, or so I think.

It's amazing how much you are like my husband! That's sounds funny, but let me tell you why. He sees the world very much in the same way as you do. Perfect example is "if we didn't have bad days, how would we know when it's a good day?" It's very much a Buddhist way of thinking (which is what he is) and it's really helped me through a lot of things and changed my perspective about the world. I just wish it came naturally to me so I wouldn't have to constantly be reminded of it! :-)

How do you know when your CFS is about to relapse? Any forewarning? I've never been officially diagnosed, but I just assumed that's what was causing my depression and extreme fatigue.

I really hope the cleanse resets us all! I can't wait to continue getting up at 5am to exercise instead of getting up to do the swf. I hope the energy will stay up! The weight will come off, definitely. That's one amazing part of this cleanse, as I've said, that really surprised me. What a motivator to eat well and stay focused. With that said, can't wait to have a slice of pizza! (oops, I think I need more lemonade!)

~Lissa

[gillmoli]

Laura,

One other question, where did you hear about the gallbladder bile dumping thing for day 16? Just curious to know in case maybe there are other things that I can expect in the coming days.

Btw, I just posted to my "stomach pain" thread because I just had this overwhelming feeling that I was going to throw up! It was so bizarre, never felt like that this entire time, not even on the swf. Any thoughts?? I'm just a little worried right now...I don't know why. It had been about 30 minutes since my last lemonade and then I started getting the "pain" again, so I went to the bathroom, #1, then came back to my desk. Then the pain subsided and there was this vomitous feeling! Mouth watering, woozy, shaky, increased heart rate, etc. Then I took a few deep breaths, drank a bit of water and some newly opened lemonade and now I'm a little better.

Weird!

~Lissa

[laura1814]

Lissa,

I got the gall bladder dump thing on Royal Flush's blog:

http://royal-lemony-flush.blogspot.com/

He's funny. I think he quit posting since he finished his cleanse.

Sounds like an intense detox symptom to me, but I don't know much. :-( Have you changed anything? New lemons? New cayenne?

I am not a Buddhist, but I have absorbed a lot of philosophies over the years, and try to make my own. Whatever works!

As for the CFS, there isn't any real warning. I work too hard, catch too many bugs going around, but I don't bounce back from a cold. Last year I had fifteen rounds of antibiotics in six months and I'd feel better for a few days and then relapse. I had to quit my job. I gained 30 pounds. My first CFS diagnosis was in 1997, and it was the same pattern then. I am now calling what happened to me last year a relapse, but I am hoping to be able to go back to work soon. (Need to lose some weight though because none of my professional clothes fit!)

I'll post some more later.

Laura

[gillmoli]

Hello all,

Just needing some words of comfort, inspiration and hope...

I'm on day 18, going to 21, and man I am so TIRED.

I'm at work right now and I'm trying not to fall asleep. Has anyone who's gone this far experienced fatigue during these days (17 & 18)?

Still having 3am bm's with loads of stuff in them, yuck! And boy do they smell FOUL. Still doing the swf religiously and MORE stuff comes out still! This amazes me. Skin is also still releasing toxins giving me lovely zits and pimples...oooh, so sexy. And finally, the tongue. Nicely coated in white with a hint of yellow (from the lemons I'm assuming) Ugh. Getting so tired of it all!

Food is looking more and more appealing with each passing second.

Oh...I just want to feel energetic again like I did during days 7-16. I really want to exercise when I get home tonight, but I just don't know if I'll have the energy to do it.

Help!
~Lissa

p.s. had to post this twice because there wasn't a response!

[Res]

Lissa,

It's detox. Detox = feeling crappy. You can have detox symptoms all the way through, even if you're going for 50+ days. Push yourself through this and increase your water intake. You'll feel better tomorrow. :)

You've come so far, keep going! http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/happy057.gif

Love,
~Res

[laura1814]

Lissa,

Only three days left for you!! I have four left!

I was very, very tired the first few days. I'm feeling a little better now. It sounds like you are doing major detoxing, probably the most important moment of your entire cleanse. It's all been prep work for this point! Way to go!

I'm really looking forward to eating food again, though I'm completely satisfied with the lemonade. Oh, guess what, I lucked out, and the family dinner tonight conflicts with something already on my schedule so I won't be here watching them eat!

I too am amazed at what comes out from the tea before the SWF. You know, when you get a colonoscopy, they make you go without red meat for a few days and then you get a gallon of some kind of colon wash the day before and it thoroughly removes it all. I'm thinking that's sounding like an easier plan about now! :-)

Did you ever try the hydrogen peroxide with baking soda to scrub your teeth and tongue?

Hang in there!

Laura

[gillmoli]

THANK YOU!

I was so sad earlier because I knew you both were probably super busy with work and such...SO GLAD you were able to reply. I really needed it ;-)

Res~ Water...that's something that I haven't been able to get enough of during the cleanse. I find that I'm pretty much sipping on my lemonade all day and really can't find the time for it. I'm sure there's a way, but I just haven't been thinking that it was as important as the lemonade (which I know it is).

As far as detox goes, no kidding!! And, to make it even more exciting today, I actually had 2 bm's at around 2pm!! I couldn't believe it! Never before this had I experienced any bm's aside from couple of hours post-SWF. I guess I really needed to work through some crap (sorry!) Ha! P.S. I love your smileys!

Laura~ Congrats on not having to deal with the family eating event. I enjoy family as much as anyone, but on the cleanse, it's so difficult to be around them when food is usually the focus of family gatherings.

The colonoscopy sounds like a breeze after this! lol.

And yes, I've tried the peroxide and baking soda...it's great! My mouth is free of all the gunk and my tongue magically turns back to it's normal color. Too bad it doesn't last all day. The other problem is that I can't carry it to work with me, so I end up with a funky mouth until I get home. You actually reminded me to pick up more peroxide tonight.

Also, congrats on only 4 days left! Woo hoo! I knew you could do it! You'll feel even better during those last 4 days too...at least I did.

Ladies, thank you again...you truly are my support and inspiration. Have a wonderful night and be well!

Hugs,
Lissa

[laura1814]

Can you believe it, I came home a little earlier than I expected, and they hadn't even sat down to dinner yet! It was SUCH a scrumptious meal, too!! I had my lemonade and sat a little to the side and managed to appreciate the food and just look forward to when I'll be able to eat again. I didn't even mind when folks offered me something ("are you SURE you don't want to try a little of this? It's really good!"-- they didn't know I'm cleansing, just thought I'd eaten earlier). I was amazed at how much I didn't mind watching them eat all that gorgeous food. Just take another sip of lemonade! When I tried to help clear the table, though, I had to draw the line!

I was noticing, while I was out and about yesterday, that food isn't just the center of family gatherings, it's truly the center of our culture. How many times had I driven down that road before, thinking, there's no place to eat! Yesterday I was trying to kill some time and was trying to find places to go where there's not any food. Usually I like to go to the bookstore to kill time but they have a coffeeshop in there and I didn't want to smell coffee. I was amazed at how many food smells I got from inside my closed car! I stopped at a clothing store, went in to look around, and guess what, they had a table with cookies, coffee, and water!! I didn't like their ugly ole clothes anyhow.

Here I am on day 7, a whole week without food, and no weight loss. I think someOne upstairs is playing a joke on me!

Lissa, are you feeling better today? I'm glad the baking soda and peroxide worked for you!

Laura

[gillmoli]

Laura,

Soooo glad you made it through that dinner! It's not so bad, is it? Just smile and sip, that's what I say. :)

And you're absolutely right. Food is the center of our culture...no wonder why we're the most obese country in the world! "Ugly ole clothes" Ha! :D

Day 7...well, not to discourage, but I didn't see any inches come off until day 11-12. But, if you stick to a mostly raw diet and keep your portions small, you'll definitely lose the weight. Can you do a 14 day cleanse? If you can, then you'll feel great and have that satisfaction that you lost some weight while on the cleanse...but then again, everyone is different, so it may not be on day 11 or 12 for you. Maybe it will be tomorrow! Just listen to your body. I was only going to do a 10 day, but I just felt so crappy that I knew there was so much more to be flushed out. I'm SO glad that I stayed with it. Day 19 today! So hang in there. :)

Feeling much better today...still tired, but not so discouraged. Your words really helped me through it all. Thank you.

It's almost 1pm here, so I only have a few more hours at work and then I can go home and do either my yoga or pilates. I did lower body yoga last night for 20 minutes and I felt great afterwards. The power of exercise...it really does do wonders.

Keep going! Almost done!

~Lissa

[laura1814]

I've been thinking about the colonoscopy cleanse too, and I realize that, unlike when Dr. Borroughs wrote his book, today there are LOTS of "colon cleanse" choices (there's a whole section of supplements on them at the health food store!) and some of them, e.g., the pre-colonoscopy prescription, work REALLY well.

Now, the MC is designed not only to cleanse but also to rebuild. He says something about using the energy of the digestive tract to detox and heal instead of digest.

Then I hear from Lissa and others that the laxative tea is still loosening up disgusting impacted poopy on the walls of the colon 20 or 40 days into a cleanse.

Now, if the point is to heal as well as eliminate toxins, it seems that as long as something relatively simple like ancient poopy is still taking up the energy of the digestive tract that many days into the cleanse, then that energy isn't being used to detox the liver or cells elsewhere in the body and to rebuild.

So to me it makes a lot of sense to consider, next time, doing some kind of supplement-based colon cleanse *before* starting the MC. Get the "easy" stuff all out of the way first, so that the MC can harness the digestive tract's energy to detox more deeply and, especially, to heal.

Those are my musings for the day!

Laura

[laura1814]

Lissa, I missed your post yesterday!

I am thinking about going for 15 days. I want to go at least a day past the 7-day detox cycle. I am down 1 pound net today. I am wondering, did you experience weight loss on days after you experienced hunger? I remember you talking about being hungry a few days ago. I was really hungry last night, after I had had a busy afternoon out and about, and I had to sip lemonade all afternoon and ended up having about 3 extra lemonades in the evening because I was so hungry.

Glad you are making it through. 21 days is pretty amazing! When and why did you decide to go 21 days?

Laura

[gillmoli]

Laura,

I can't really remember about being hungry and then feeling like I lost weight the next day. I'm not sure. I just know that it really started to come off at about day 12, 13. I felt better the day after I exercised too. That could be it as well.

It's okay to have extra lemonades. I just let myself have it if my body needed it. No guilt there.

As far as deciding to go to 21 days, I made up my mind on day 9. It was because I really felt that there was a lot more to clean out. My bm's were so full of gunk and my tongue was really gross...I just wanted to do my first MC for as long as I needed so that I felt I really got a good start at eliminating the toxins. My aunt works at a fitness club where they also focus on nutrition. I spoke to her just over a week ago and she told me that they recommend people to do a 21 day fast to get the full benefits. That was the other reason why I chose 21 days.

I'm really glad I did it. It's taught me discipline and showed my how much willpower I really have...I can do anything I put my mind to!

I will definitely be posting on the "After the Cleanse" board...I'll also send you pm's too. Thank you so much for your kind words!

Keep it up, Laura. I know you can do it and you'll start to feel the weight come off. As Res says, it took years to put it on, so it will take time to get it off.

Hugs,

Lissa

[TX Vegan]

I've been thinking about the colonoscopy cleanse too, and I realize that, unlike when Dr. Borroughs wrote his book, today there are LOTS of "colon cleanse" choices (there's a whole section of supplements on them at the health food store!) and some of them, e.g., the pre-colonoscopy prescription, work REALLY well.

Now, the MC is designed not only to cleanse but also to rebuild. He says something about using the energy of the digestive tract to detox and heal instead of digest.

Then I hear from Lissa and others that the laxative tea is still loosening up disgusting impacted poopy on the walls of the colon 20 or 40 days into a cleanse.

Now, if the point is to heal as well as eliminate toxins, it seems that as long as something relatively simple like ancient poopy is still taking up the energy of the digestive tract that many days into the cleanse, then that energy isn't being used to detox the liver or cells elsewhere in the body and to rebuild.

So to me it makes a lot of sense to consider, next time, doing some kind of supplement-based colon cleanse *before* starting the MC. Get the "easy" stuff all out of the way first, so that the MC can harness the digestive tract's energy to detox more deeply and, especially, to heal.

Those are my musings for the day!

Laura

:rolleyes: I wonder what kind of diet these people were eating before, if there still loosening up disgusting impacted poopy on the walls of the colon 20 or 40 days into a cleanse. I have been a vegan for over 6 years, & I'm on day 6 & after day 2, all I'v done is butt pee bright yellow :)
I wonder if there diet was dead animals & dairy b4, & that makes the difference ;) on the toxens,
I plan to go longer then 10 days, & start going towards 100% raw vegan after that. :D

[laura1814]

Howdy, neighbor! You live in South Austin, right?

I'm not going vegan. No way! I love steak! :-) And I love milk! I'd rather do colonics than do without! I do try to eat plenty of raw stuff though.

However, your point is well taken. Perhaps Burroughs designed the MC in part from his own personal experience, which was somewhat vegan if I'm reading right. If your experience is anything to go by, that suggests that my idea of jump-starting with a colonic of some kind is the thing for carnivores to do. I will try it next time. Because even though I haven't lost ANY weight, I still believe that the MC is a good detox.

Laura

[TX Vegan]

Howdy, neighbor! You live in South Austin, right?

I'm not going vegan. No way! I love steak! :-) And I love milk! I'd rather do colonics than do without! I do try to eat plenty of raw stuff though.

However, your point is well taken. Perhaps Burroughs designed the MC in part from his own personal experience, which was somewhat vegan if I'm reading right. If your experience is anything to go by, that suggests that my idea of jump-starting with a colonic of some kind is the thing for carnivores to do. I will try it next time. Because even though I haven't lost ANY weight, I still believe that the MC is a good detox.

Laura
I don't live in Austin, ( close to denton ) I agree with you, the MC is a good detox, but I think food choice, & meds, would make a person more toxic, then using herbs, & eating a raw vegan diet would, JMO

[laura1814]

No kidding! If this MC did nothing more than get me off my meds for a while, it's a win!

I have relatives in Denton, an uncle and aunt who teach at the two universities. (Also have a brother in South Austin.) But I live near Beaumont. It's always hard to make Yankees understand how big this state is! :-)

Laura

[sopheetsa]

hey-- nobody's whined for a while here... So I thought I'd get to have a shot at it!!! ;) Getting my share of wining & dining! ---GRRRRRR!!!!!!

[Res]

Ooooooooooooohhhhhhhhh you're in our secret hiding place! Shhhhhhhh ;)

[sopheetsa]

i'd be laughing if i wasn't crying!!! :(

[Res]

It will be OK. Love you, love you. http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/love070.gifYou can be sad here. There are no rules. (think sept 7th ;), huh? huh?)

[sopheetsa]

sep 7th??? heh??? really??? u mean- me-- cleanse ag-- when i can barely-- um-- stop eating? (and what if OTHER PEOPLE SEE THIS POST???) I'LL DIE!

[Res]

Well don't die...they're seeing ;)

Yes, lets do it! We haven't cleansed together in a LONG TIME. <Nudge, Nudge....> :p But only if you're ready in your mind...you know the ropes.

[mstiams]

Hey you guys...I'm whining too tonite :( I'm on Day 8 and STARVING!!!!!!! This time it isn't just in my head. I've had a huge glass of water, 2 glasses of lemonade and a cup of mint tea. I went out and played with my teeny tiny veggie garden til I ran out of things to do out there. I brought in jalepenos and washed, seeded and cut them up to freeze. I did the dishes...I"M HUNGRY!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!

[bayareababe]

Hi ms....... I had the same thing at day 8! I put a little extra MS in my drink, and it sort of helped, but I went to bed hungry knowing that this would pass, and you know what? In the morning it did! So, hang tough, you are doing a great job!

babe8)

[Res]

Good Advice Babe: :D



mstiams: You're at the stage of the cleanse where it's like when you REALLY have to pee. You hold it, hold it, hold it - but as you get closer to the bathroom you feel like you're not going to make it because you have to go SO BAD! http://www.freesmileys.org/emo/toilet05.gif

Well, you're only two days away from the bathroom! (Uh, that sounded horrid didn't it? :rolleyes: ) DON'T CAVE! It's really important to make it to Day 10!

Think about how you feel when you roll out of bed in the morning....thinner! That's one of my favorite parts about the cleanse. It's like a new person getting out of bed each morning.

You can do it! Hang in there!

Love,
~Res

[sopheetsa]

two days w/out a bathroom break sounds like torture !!!!!!!! but -- yes-- mstiams hold out-- it's TOTALLY WORTH IT! ;) (and please know we're rooting for u!)

[mstiams]

Thanks to all of you, Babe, Res and Soph :) It is now just after midnight here and I didn't cave...I STAYED STRONG!!!! I liked the bathroom analogy Res...you're so right on *LOL* Anywhosit, heading off to bed and looking forward :rolleyes: to DAY 9 :D You peeps are THE BEST!

[Rottenmeyer]

Hi, Sopheetsa!

I did my first fast when you were doing your forty+ days one, back in late February (my screen name was Igrayne at the time). How did it go? I've been trying to catch up on your posts at the time, but I don't really have much time and I wondered!

Mar

[sopheetsa]

congratulations mstiams I'm not only happy for you-- I'm IMPRESSED! woo hoo way to go! http://fulcrum.physbio.mssm.edu/~sdy/images/happy036 you're in the home stretch now!

nice to hear from you Rottenmeyer--that was also my "first" (cleanse.) things haven't always been perfectly smooth-- but that's to be expected no? how many more did you do since? :) I know what you mean about time... it can get hard to keep track of all this stuff going on.... (On the other hand-- I probably shouldn't say this-- but sometimes-- one can have a whole LIFE on this bb and forget to go out and LIVE :) -- I hope I'm kidding...)

Since my first cleanse-- I've been to Venice and Brazil, I've been trying to rework a (scientific paper) near and dear to me-- (on evolution) presented a poster on the subject, visited a sugar plantation which was where (in Brazil) slaves were first freed, had sugar cane, as well as a Brazilian rum, cashew (fruit), cocoa and chocolate-- from the tree, learned some Portuguese, almost got a sun tan, lost and gained a heck of a lot of weight-- and had a LOT OF GOOD FOOD not trying to lose weight. I also ordered a hoola hoop-- which I haven't been using lately.

Right now-- I'm looking at figuring out a better way to live ... and even though I probably KNOW what I should do-- I'm having trouble doing it. How about you?

[peanutterb]

i'm scared to weight myself
:(

[sopheetsa]

I KNOW the feeling peanutterb! Oh dear! Wish I could reassure you-- but I bet its not as bad as you think. In my case, it's worse.

[AngelaKong]

PB... go get on that scale, no matter what it says, you know you have the answer and know how to fix it. You've gotten us all over some pretty steep hills during the cleanse. Stay strong girl!!!!

Angela:)

[peanutterb]

thank you guys.
but i can't.
i won't.
it will only depress me.

[peanutterb]

so i did it. *sigh*
stood on a scale.
and actually looked.
it wasn't good. *sigh*
but i didn't feel too too bad bc my clothes still fit well.
i'll get it together when i get back from florida.

[mstiams]

peanut...I know, I know...stepping on the scale can be soooooo scary :( Go enjoy your time in Florida...you're a very determined woman - you can do whatever you set your mind to!!

[Res]

Don't be too hard on yourself peanut. It's a learning process and no one I know has it down perfectly. :) Hang in there and know that we're all with you in this crazy learning boat! :)

Love,
~Res

[peanutterb]

aw thanks guys.
i don't feel too bad because like i said, those size 8 jeans are still sexy as hell on me :D
I'm going to check my inches tonight. As long as that hasn't changed I'm good to go.
so much of what you lose is water weight and also waste in general - i read somewhere you can lose up to 15lbs of waste alone - so i'm ok with putting on a little.
plus i'm still hot, so whatever.



(didn't take me too long to cheer myself up lol)

[mstiams]

peanut...I looked at your pic and you're a hottie alright ;) I'm not comin' on to you - I'm married lol

[sopheetsa]

well I'm glad to see u in good spirits. I, unfortunatlely am coming to the thought that it might be time to cleanse. i have FAILED at eating reasonably-- FAILED. it isn't that i don't know how-- but I just HAVEN'T.

I actually am AFRAID of cleansing again-- but I feel that I've crossed every warning-- let my weight go up-- and I DON'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT MYSELF.

I honestly think the cleanse is NOT the answer*. The answer is a lifelong strategy for healthy living-- and I know that that's what we're trying to promote here- but I HAVEN'T DONE IT.

So, I'm thinking, despite the problems I have with FINISHING the cleanse it is BACK TO THE CLEANSE FOR ME.

I can't believe I'm actually saying this on the bb-- and I'm feeling pretty awful.

Sorry folks!

(My last two cleanses I was pretty private about things--)

This time-- I'm WORRIED.

---

*I'm not trying to speak against the cleanse-- just using the cleanse in the wrong way. Right now-- I'm mainly upset with how I let things go out of bounds.

[kiropa]

i have an idea for you...

do a short, regular, old 10-day cleanse. i bet that is enough to 'fix' your head & eating. it will not mess too much w/ your metabolism & you can move on to your goal of healthy balance.

just a thought.

kim

[peanutterb]

i'm with kim too soph.

do a cleanse.
i'm debating it too but i'm also with you on the using a cleanse like a diet pill mentality. the cleanse doesn't cure or fix bad eating habits per se, you do. so i am going to stick with my plan of doing a 14 day in oct with Allison. and for the month of sept, i'm going to get back to the gym, get back to eating right and watching what i eat and eating more raw and such and i'm going to get back on the ball. it's not like i'm unhealthy or eating badly or fat or anything, i just don't feel good about myself right now. and not in general but just sometimes.

anyway, soph, we're all here for you. this, if anywhere, is the place to be honest and open. we're literally all in the same boat here.

[sopheetsa]

well-- thank you kim and pea

i appreciated what you had to say. i'm being rather sudden about this-- but maybe i will do a cleanse starting tomorrow. i'm not exactly prepared and i haven't even drunk the tea yet. we'll see.

i pretty much agree with what you're saying about not using the cleanse like "diet pills". :)

i also have a heck of a lot of food i'm going to have to give away and figure out what to do with!

ciao everyone-- not CHOW. http://therawfoodsite.com/forum/images/icons/icon10.gif

[Res]

"SO....." Day 5? http://www.kurts-smilies.de/applaus.gif ;)

[peanutterb]

<begin whine>
been hanging out with my ex alot lately. bad enough as it is i know. especially since every now and then i have to remind him that we're "just friends" and what he's saying/ doing is "off limits" *aye dios mio*
anyway, his twins started school a week or two ago and now he's sick tho he claims he's not "just a little mucus" he says. but this morning i woke up and my neck aches, my nose is blocked up and i feel a little icky. i just took a bunch of vit c and echinecea and golden seal and a huge glass of freshly squeezed oj but i swear if he makes me sick before i head on my vacation to florida --- shoot if he makes me sick after having not been sick for nearly a year, i'm going to kick him in the shins.
</end whine>

anybody have any ideas/ suggestions on how i can knock this out of me asap?
i'm going to have some lemonade with cayenne and put cayenne on everything i eat. and i'm going to bite into a clove of garlic. these have worked for me in the past.
any other suggestions?

[lauram]

Well PB, I would say stop hanging out with the ex. If he is truly an ex and you have moved on, then move on. From reading your posts, I know you are a strong gal and don't need mr. ex, so move it and move his sniffles out of here.
Sorry, just some probably unneeded advice.
Laura

[peanutterb]

no, you're totally right.
this icky sicky feeling is just what i get for hanging out with him.

[bayareababe]

Res................ big hug hun................ you crack me up!

ya somedays i hate it too if it wasn't sooooooo good for my body!

hugersssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

babe8)
off to drink my tea........ and i hate that somedays too! :P

[Res]

*chuckle.. Thanks for the Hug!! *Smooch*

Wow, I was really having "one of those days". :mad: Had to force the lemonade down and hated every last second of it. Mind over matter with the tea too but the last few evenings my stomach wanted to bring the tea back up....eww.

Today is Day 21 - I feel like I could go for another week...not that I want to but I feel like I could. Once again, detoxing doesn't have any particular schedule. One day you're up and the next day you're down for the count! :)

I hope you're having a great day! :)

Love,
~Res

[talitha]

Ooooh, I'm so happy I found this thread. (Thank you Res!)

I feel sooooo freaking crappy today! It's day three and after a relatively easy days one and two I figured today would also be a piece of cake! I'm shivering, and crying, and drinking cup after cup of hot lemonaid with loads of cayenne.

I want to eat, but I don't really, because I know that my longing for food is purely emotional right now. And if I give in to the cravings I'm just going to shove the food in my face and not enjoy it anyway, nevermind totally screwing up my oh so wonderful detox process that I appear to be going through.

I really wish I could feed my family totally disgusting, tasteless crap right now so I wouldn't even want to touch it, but that would defeat the purpose of this cleanse. Instead they are all eating a delicious smelling and very healthy black bean and brown rice dish that I made for them through my tears. I hate them all right now!!! (just kidding, I love my family, but why do they have to get hungry???) LOLOL.

Okay, I whined, now back to regular scheduled programming;)

Talitha

[Molly]

Hi Talitha -

I'm on day four, and I felt exactly like you yesterday! I was starving and cranky...but it was just yesterday! Today's a whole new day...I know you'll get through it!

[Res]

HAHAHAHA - Oh Geez, you didn't even have to say, "I'm kidding". I know. :D It's just so funny and really - saying that and getting it all out really helps! :)

I LOVE your honesty. It's NOT EASY feeding people while you're nose is running, your rear is running, you ache, you're hungry, you're cranky and not doing what you want to do and your Friend (food) isn't allowed to help you out! ;) Misery loves company: I'm going to try to find a conversation between two people who #1 person was having a really rough day and #2 person was probably fine until she ready #1's complaints. It's hilarious in a sadistic kind of way. ;) It was posted on the old board. Be right back!

Hang in there because you're doing GREAT! :D

Love,
~Res

[Res]

Darn, I can't find it. That's ok, your post was funny enough. :)

Love to all, and HANG IN THERE!
~Res

[aworldofamy]

hi, im new to this board, but i needed someone to vent to...i would like to someday do the MC with a friend, but most of my friends (of course) think im crazy!
i feel like ****, mentally. the worst days (of course) were the two that i couldnt do the swf, but i started on the 1st and i havent had any super happy feelings since. i didnt feel like this last time i did it- and that time i didnt realize the importance of the swf and only did it once the whole 10 days!
and im achy! whine whine whine.
i know its all for the best, but i needed to get it off my chest.
i hate mint and anise. are there any laxative teas out there that arent flavored with these? i havent found one.
also- is anyone else overly interested in smelling other peoples food? both times ive done it ive begun grabbing food out of random people's hands just to take a big whiff....hee...
amy

[CitrusB]

i am on day 6& i had been studying the food section in the paper& watching the food channel all of which was making it worse - i was sinking into hell so i totally relate to sniffing food anywhere you can; i actually now make sure my husband is done with cooking/eating and has lit an incense before i even enter my house/the strangest thing is i do not remember being so aware of good food everywhere i turn & how so much of my life centered around going out to eat@an unusual place or getting a cup of coffee at anywhere but starbucks- it was my entire social life..so now i see no one&no one really wants to see me because they afraid to eat or drink coffee(my most favorite bev in the world)- with the exception of the mc/BB + gym that's it for me for now-what i do know though is i am detoxing & i will be a better person on many levels when this is done. hang in there& thanks to all who keep writing their truth!
bkuller