juice cleanse

I just finished a 3-day juice cleanse and will be happy to NOT see juice for a while.

Why did I decide to do it? There were a couple of reasons. I have been working out 3 days a week since December and have not lost any weight; I have gained weight. I have heard muscle weighs more than fat, and I am building muscle, but I also think menopause has a lot to do with it.

I also wanted to reset my gut. I have stomach issues and always feel like I am bloated, which is very uncomfortable. So, I thought giving my delicate tummy a break from food would make it happy.

Aging is not for sissies! So my dear friend Karen, with whom I go to the gym, said… hey, I’m thinking of doing a juice cleanse… wanna do it with me? 🤔 Sure! Why not? So we ordered the packets… https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L5Z9QK4?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details … and planned our days. We decided a Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday would be best. We figured the first day would be ok… the second day would be more challenging (we go to the gym at 4:30am on Mondays) and I had no idea what Tuesday would bring.

Saturday night, I stopped eating at about 6pm…

Day 1: I played golf with friends, and my son Brody walked the 18. Felt great! I only drank 6 of the 8 packets. Surprisingly, the protein and the greens were the easiest for me to drink. The citrus and berry ones I did not like. I thought it would have been the opposite. Slept well!

Day 2: Went to the gym and had a great workout despite not eating. This is when it gets hard. Around mid-day, all I could think about was food. I wanted something salty, and just drinking juice made me want to 🤮. I was definitely hangry! But I forged on, but again, I only drank 6 of the 8 packets. My stomach did NOT like the citrus at all. Took a hot shower and went to bed early because… well frankly, I was freaking hungry and could not stop thinking about food.

Day 3: I just kept thinking … you got this! You only have to make it til 5pm as I was having dinner with my bestie. I felt nauseous and lightheaded and did not want to drink any more juice, but I did. I only got 5 of the 8 packets down.

I was never so happy as to sit in a restaurant and order food. We have been to this place before and the food is good. The cleanse suggested that you eat fruits and vegetables your first meal, so we ordered hummus with veggies and I ordered a salad with salmon. I was disappointed, while the food was excellent, it wasn’t the great experience I had thought it would be. After not eating for 3 days, I probably could have had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and it would have been amazing.

So I survived my first juice cleanse and will do another towards the end of the summer. But I will be getting a juicer and making my own. I feel like real juice vs powder will be more satisfying and I will have more flavors/fruits and vegetables to choose from.

My question to you as readers…. what do you do when your tummy feels bloated all the time? I eat healthy, no alcohol, no sodas, no carbonation, lots of fruits and veggies, no junk food. Any advice?

Also would love to know if you’ve tried a juice cleanse!