It’s almost the end of the year and I’m going to pre-empt the New Year hype about how you have to buy the latest detox kit, juice cleanse, toxin-releasing product, raw food recipe book and so on… so you can lose weight, have the body you’ve always dreamt of etc etc.
I call BS on it all!!
“But don’t you do regular ‘resets’ Melissa?” I hear you ask…
That’s true, the BeachBody 21 Day Ultimate Reset is on my calendar 2-3 times per year, but my reasons for doing those tend to be more environmental than anything else. If we’ve travelled extensively and I’m overly fatigued (because I haven’t always had the same access to my normal healthy foods), or we’ve been in the city with a lot of pollution and varying water quality.
Some people see the BeachBody Ultimate Reset as their go-to detox for kick starting their weight loss journey (which is great); but for someone like me who eats well and exercises most of the time anyway, it’s just an additional system boost.
Back to those gimmicky detoxes and cleanses…Will a detox help me lose weight?
Yes, it’s great to want to cut the unhealthy stuff out of your life, but going along with the rest of the world and doing this in January for a few days, or even weeks, really isn’t going to have too many long lasting benefits. Sorry, but you know I have to tell you the truth!!
By all means, do the juice cleanse if that’s what you really feel you need to kick start a healthier eating journey, but just know that the results will be short lived, it will be hard to stick to, the cravings will be awful and the weight loss might not even be that much (if that’s the reason you’re doing it in the first place).
If you’re currently on a diet of sodas, burgers, pizzas, fries and pastries – then of course cutting those things out of your diet will have a drastic impact on your waistline.
But what’s even more important is what you’re replacing it all with.
If you’re limiting your food intake to fruit juice (however healthy that might seem), it’s basically just stuffing your body with a load of fructose (sugar) and sending your blood sugar levels sky high, then low again. The liver just can’t cope with this type of constant ‘attack’.
Plus, if you were to eat a piece of fruit or two, that’s not too bad occasionally, but think about what goes into a glass of fruit juice – numerous pieces that on their own you probably couldn’t consume in one sitting!
So what should you do instead?
A more effective, longer-lasting and more affordable solution is out there. It’s called eating well!
So, in answer to your question – will a detox help me lose weight? Well maybe, to begin with, especially if you’ve overindulged during the festive period. But it’s probably not going to last.
My approach (The M.A.D.E Diet) might not sound as sexy or ‘celebrity’ but it WORKS! Yes it might take longer to see pounds shed off your waistline, yes it might take time to adjust, yes it might involve a switch in your eating habits, but it will help your long-term health and wellbeing way more effectively than any January quick fix diet promo ever will!