If you're tired of carrying around unwanted pounds and are doing your research, you may have read accounts about the promising amount of weight loss on Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet. But how much can you really expect to lose, and an even better question: is this weight loss long term?
What Makes Up the Amount of Weight Loss on Master Cleanse?
The Master Cleanse lemonade diet isn't really a weight loss diet, but a detox plan. When the body detoxifies, it naturally loses weight, too, as it throws off toxins and restores vitality. For those following a cleanse like this that's really a fast, the question arises: what amount of weight loss is fat?
How much weight you'll lose on the Master Cleanse diet will depend on how overweight you are at the start. It is not uncommon for people to lose five pounds the first day and even ten pounds in two days. If you have less weight to lose, the rate of loss will be lower.
Fat
The body takes care of itself, and when following a detoxing fast like Master Cleanse, the body determines what it will consume first for fuel. On this cleanse, the body conserves the comparatively limited body protein stores and burns fat for the primary source of energy.
Water
Most of the rapid weight loss at the start of the Master Cleanse diet is water. This occurs because the body gets rid of all the extra salt that causes water retention.
Muscle
Once you're into day three of the Master Cleanse diet, your body starts to produce ketones. Ketones work as a powerful appetite suppressant which is why people don't feel hungry while on this cleanse. As the body works to heal itself, it locates diseased or poorly formed muscle, and burns that as fuel first.
Metabolism and Master Cleanse
Over and over, we hear warnings about not eating too few calories or our body will go into survival mode, and our metabolism slows to conserve fuel. Since the Lemonade Diet is really a detox and form of fasting, the heavier you are at the onset, the less your metabolism slows, but it does slow down. This is what gives you the calories you need to finish the diet. Once you start eating again, your metabolism kicks back to normal.
The Real Question - Can You Keep the Weight Off?
Keeping the weight off is the real issue for those who want to break the yo-yo dieting syndrome in their life. Peter Glickman, the author of Lose Weight, Have More Energy & Be Happier in 10 Days did an informal survey of 141 people who had done the Master Cleanse diet. Results showed that, in general, women lost about 12 pounds while men lost 16. Both put back on about six pounds. Now that's an average. Remember, people who have more to lose, will lose more. However, if you have any weight to lose, this cleansing fast will help you shed it.
Another bit of interesting trivia that Glickman points out from his survey is that most of the people who followed the Master Cleanse diet were inclined to eat healthier once they finished, and that's the key to keeping the weight off. If you return to your old eating habits, you'll gradually return to your old fat self. Glickman lost 23 more pounds on Master Cleanse, and today keeps it off by eating an 80 percent raw food diet and for the most part chooses vegetarian fare. He also follows the Master Cleanse diet every three months. So will you keep off the weight? The amount of weight loss on Master Cleanse won't matter if you go back to eating high fat, sugary foods, and more calories than your body needs. Just like any diet, keeping the weight off will depend on what you do once you've reset your body and start eating again.
