Lacking Energy & Losing lots of Weight & Muscle

[mikekao]

I started my first MC 5 days ago, and had set off to go as long as necessary (10-30 days)! *I had done a parasite cleanse and a Liver Flush prior to starting the MC, and at this point I feel like I'm at a dangerously low weight... 120lbs and I'm 5' 9". I'm starting to get comments about how I now look anorexically skinny, and I've noticed that my stomach is caving in (it's always been flat, but now it's almost concave!). *I've always had an insanely high metabolism & used to consume about 3.5k-4.5k calories/day (fortunately majority from healthy vegetarian & organic sources) just to stay in the low 140s! *Right now my goal is to LOWER my metabolism and decrease my caloric needs, while maintaining a safe weight. * I suppose the MC was not ideal for this goal, as I've been doing nothing but dropping weight, but I really wanted to clear out my body of all the toxins that have built up.

So far hunger & food cravings haven't really been an issue, but I don't feel particularly energetic. I don't know how some can excercise and workout while doing the MC as I barely have enough energy to push out my BMs each day! *It's not that I don't feel too sluggish, I just simply feel like I don't have the energy or strength right now to do strenuous activities.

I took a Metabolic Typing Test, and it turns out I'm a Protein-type Metabolic, which makes sense because I used to consume betw 100-200grams of protein/day to keep up with my needs! *I feel like that might be the problem with the MC-diet; that I'm not getting enough protein, and in fact none at all, which is why I feel so depleted of energy! Should I stop? I know I can up the maple syrup to curb the weight loss, but I don't want to go overboard with the sugar for 2 weeks+ and besides, I never seem to derive energy from the syrup and I don't think it's going to stop the rapid loss of muscle. Where is my body getting the protein it needs from? *If it's resorting to cannabalizing muscle for energy, something is must be wrong right?

[mikekao]

Yikes... I just stepping on the scale and I'm now 115lbs. *I feel like a skeleton, and my midsection is starting to hug my ribcage!

I'm having 7 lemonades with 14 tablespoons of maple syrup, which I'm thinking about upping, but wouldn't excess sugar consumption be a concern?

I just don't get it, I shouldn't 'need' much more, I haven't been doing any activties or excercise other than stretching and yoga. *Right now I'm considering switching to a unlimited juice fast, which at least I will get some variation and protein with. What do you guys think?

[rjinga]

I have no personal experience with the MC but as a common sense answer to your issue, STOP THE CLEANSE and feed yourself.

Do this again when your body is better adjusted.

[sopheetsa]

Dear Elestial

WOW! you have an interesting and relatively unusual situation! Many people would LOVE to trade places with you I'm sure! Despite the uniqueness of your situation (which makes it a good idea to post on your own thread here)-- it may be that you don't get a lot of responses because not everyone works their way through all of these topics-- so consider posting on the "Re: 2006 What day are you on and how are you doing" thread-- and you may get more feedback!

About the particulars of what you're saying: It is true that generally speaking, the CLEANSE is a "starvation" diet-- generally providing LESS than 1000calories/day, which is part of why MOST people lose weight on it--- although Burroughs does say that if you NEED TO GAIN WEIGHT YOU WILL! :)

But to do that, YOU DEFINITELY need to up that maple sugar content! This may well frighten you-- and I would definitely understand that-- having been horrified myself at the thought of consuming so much "naked" sugar!

The other thing to say, is that altho the MC is often used for weight loss, its primary purpose is that it is, first and foremost-- a CLEANSE. That means, it does a Master job of cleaning out the bowels & colon, and overall purifying your body by "resetting the switch" as Peter says. Sounds like you've done a pretty good job of eating healthy-- and you MAY NOT need a cleanse-- but--that really is a very personal decision-- and if you have been liver flushing & parasite cleaning-- you may well feel like you also need to clean your colon--and give yourself a total overhaul!

It may also be, (and this is very speculative of me) that maybe why you've had to eat so much is because you're not absorbing what you eat-- in which case-- the CLEANSE IS the thing for you!

As for LOWERING your metabolism-- ok, well, given that you're the envy of the western world, and ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO???-- it is TRUE that fasting --of all kinds-- LOWERS METABOLISM! That's generally considered to be a PROBLEM for many folks-- because *it is part of the overall rebound weight gain effect...but HEY-- that's not your problem!

But from what you say about your PROTEIN needs-- the cleanse is definitely very frightening-- given that it is a ZERO protein diet.

The thing that blows my mind is that you've wanted to go 10-30 days! Well, given that you've done 5, one way to go-- to achieve that-- is to finish up through 10 days-- but DEFINITELY UP your maple syrup-- YOU DEFINITELY NEED IT--scary as it may be-- because I'm sure you'd rather burn maple syrup than your protein reserves! Frightening as it is to consume all this maple syrup--what you might do, is think of it as a very HIGH OCTANE--pure source of energy-- (as well as some vitamins & vital minerals) particularly if you get grade B organic... The maple syrup mitigates the harsher effects of fasting: it prevents ketosis, it helps maintain blood sugar levels (which decreases frequency of headaches due to precipitously lowered blood sugar). It is NOT the same as drinking sugar water when you are otherwise in normal eating mode... It helps keep your body on (relatively) even keel vis a vis it's energy needs, so that it can get to the business of "resetting" and "healing"! But in order to do that-- you HAVE TO GIVE YOURSELF ENOUGH ENERGY from the maple syrup-- which in your case-- may well be more than most people! So do a simple calculation:

Take say 2000cal/ 40 cal/tbs maple syrup = 50 tablespoons maple syrup/day!

look, if that sounds absolutely AWFULL-- you can go down to:

1500/40=37.5 roughly 40, or even say roughly 36.

If you drink 12 lemonades (the recommended MAX) with a total of 36 tbs of maple syrup total, that would be 3 tbs /glass. That's REALLY NOT UPPING the maple sugar THAT MUCH, because in YOUR CASE-- I'd go so far as considering all 12 lemonades with DOUBLE the maple sugar! ie 12x4=48 which would get you up nearly to that 50... :) don't be scared! I think it coudl work! :)

I've been terrified of a lot of things myself, and am finding this cleanse to be really miraculous!

BEST OF LUCK! KEEP POSTING ON WHAT YOU'RE DOING!

soph

[pinealoppe]

from what you have said and being that you've done other cleanses why would you be wanting to do this? Your body is probably fully cleanses or close to it..why not just do raw to do the cleanse at a less rapid pace?

[fancy1]

pinealoppe.... first of all welcome...

I myself have done the cleanse more than once simply because I am sure that even with my diet change there are still toxins that have not been eliminated. They tend to hide out and are stuborn. Also, each time I cleanse my physical problems become much better and easier to live with. having been in a car accident over 10 years ago, I have lived with many things that I thought I would have to just accept and now I know different. I am estatic to say the least... so in answer to your question on how many times... many here have done this yearly for over 10 years...

Only wish I would have found out about it so much sooner...

Hope to see you here on a regular basis..
Best of luck to you...