Hey guys! What’s new? I hope your week is off to a great start. I’m really finding it hard to believe that the 4th of July is this Sunday. Seriously, where has the time gone! I need to seek out a few friends who may be barbequing because I definitely have nothing planned or prepared.
I wanted to center this post around a popular craze that has been around years; The Green Smoothie Cleanse. I learned of this cleanse about five years ago. I’d seen so many blog posts, advertisements, and recipes about this smoothie craze. The fact that you can lose weight by drinking a few smoothies a day reeled me in. I researched every article I could find and spoke with a few people who had success.
The 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse by J.J. Smith was recommended to me by a friend. After reading the book from cover to cover, I dove right in. The book is great as it’s an easy read and the content is laid out in thorough detail. I had nothing to lose. I selected the modified version of two smoothies per day and a light dinner as opposed to the full cleanse of three smoothies per day. In full transparency, I started off great but only made it to day four before giving up. Apparently I wasn’t as disciplined as I thought I was. I found myself starving in between smoothies and I ate very little snacks in between; big mistake. However, in those four days, I did manage to lose a few inches. Oh well, next time I thought.
Fast forward a few years later, I was preparing for an upcoming anniversary trip to Las Vegas and wanted to drop a few pounds in the process. Maybe I should try the GSC again, I thought, so I dug the book out of the box in my closet. I made a promise that I would stick to it this time no matter what.
The cleanse is grouped into 10 days with a different smoothie each day. It consists of various leafy greens, fresh or frozen fruit, water and a few stevia packets for sweeteners. It is also a “must” that you drink at least 64oz of water each day.
Things you cannot eat while on the cleanse: Dairy, Red Meat, Candy, Chips, Cookies….basically all the good stuff. I selected the modified version this time around as well…I’m sorry but I need “all” the solid meals I can get, ha! My experience is outlined below.
Day 1- Made two smoothies in the morning; ate boiled eggs, carrots, fruit and almonds for snacks and a dinner consisting of grilled chicken, broccoli and red peppers. Feeling: I felt fine this day, I can continue!!!
Day 2 – Made two smoothies in the morning; ate scrambled egg whites, various fruit, carrots and a dinner consisting of tilapia and garlic zucchini and squash. Feeling: Very irritable; longing for chocolate chip cookies and milk.
Day 3 – Made two smoothies in the morning; ate boiled eggs (again), crunchy sweet peppers, almonds and a dinner consisting of grilled chicken and chicken salad made with celery, grapes, vegan mayo and a bit of chicken seasoning. Feeling: Through the roof irritable; still craving sweets.
Day 4 – Made two smoothies in the morning; ate scrambled egg whites and a bit of real bacon which is a no-no! Ate tons of fruit and almonds. Dinner consisted of grilled pork chops and the remaining chicken salad from the previous day. Feeling: I’m so over this!
Day 5 – Made two smoothies in the morning; ate a bowl of fruit, boiled eggs, crunchy peppers and a dinner consisting of a leafy green chicken salad with a side of asparagus. Feeling: Five days should be enough right!!! Ughhh! I cheated a bit and ate a handful of tollhouse crackers and half of a candy bar.
Day 6 – Made two smoothies in the morning; ate a bit of oatmeal which is also a no-go, tons of fruit, skinny pop popcorn and dinner consisting of tilapia with Caribbean seasoning and sautéed spinach. Feeling: I’m a bit hungry but no real sugar cravings
Day 7/8 – Made smoothies both days; ate boiled eggs, diced apples with almond butter, three Sunkist oranges, almonds, and a dinner consisting of grilled chicken with broccoli and peppers. Feeling: I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but I’m so over these boring snacks.
Day 9/10 – Made smoothies both days, ate scrambled egg whites with peppers and tomatoes, fruit, apples and granola, and dinner consisting of grilled lemon pepper fish and green beans with a few panko crumbs. Feeling: I made it!!! It’s over and surprisingly, I don’t want to reach for my cookies or the batch of caramel squares staring me in the face.
Results: I lost a total of 5lbs and I managed to lose a ton of inches. I didn’t notice any of it until my son stated that my thighs looked skinnier, LOL. Gotta love kids for their brutal honesty! I was also able to fit into a few pair of jeans that I stuffed on the top shelf of my closet because I couldn’t button them. Score!!!
Overall, the GSC definitely worked for me. I suppose I would see more results if I hadn’t cheated or if I’d done the full cleanse, nevertheless, I’m happy with my results. I noticed I was irritable A LOT, I had a few breakouts which was to be expected and I didn’t get as creative as I could have with the snacks. I did appreciate the GSC Facebook page that has tons of resources and support for those beginning and ending the cleanse. I also noticed that after completing the cleanse, I got fuller faster. I haven’t reached for my favorite drink (cherry Pepsi) in a while and I haven’t fixed my daily bowl of ice cream w/chocolate chips. I feel great physically and because of my dedication, my husband decided to follow suit and is now on Day 9 of the cleanse!!!. It was not an easy journey at all but I’m so glad I stuck with it. Now, if only I can stick to clean eating moving forward!
A few things to consider:
Keep an adequate amount of healthy snacks and veggies on hand. This is important, especially when you are tempted to reach for the unhealthy stuff.
Try your best to plan out your meals. There is nothing worse than figuring out what to cook when you are already hungry. The individually wrapped chicken and fish worked wonders for me.
You will (at least some of you) tire of drinking water but continue drinking it anyway. This is highly important as it helps with detoxification. You may also drink detox and green tea’s in the mornings before drinking your smoothie. FYI- Frequent bathroom trips are expected 🙂
Give yourself a bit of grace. No one is perfect so if you happen to slip up, just start again. This is not a time to beat yourself up.
If you are on the fence about trying it, I encourage you to do your research to determine if this cleanse is right for you.
xo Kee