Complete Isagenix 9-Day Cleanse

I did finish my Isagenix cleanse, several days ago, but have been so caught up with writing my NaNo, I neglected to write a post about it! :D

I didn’t do the program in nine days, since I got off-track because of Halloween, and then a yoga retreat weekend (I didn’t want to be doing cleanse days during either of those events). But, I stayed on the “shake day” program pretty much during that break I took in the middle, and then did my final two cleanse days about a week ago.

I feel it is a very good program. I didn’t lose a lot of weight, but I wasn’t really trying to, either. I did lose a total of five pounds, but even better, I lost more than three inches around my waist, which has helped me get back into some clothes that weren’t fitting before the cleanse.

I mostly wanted to get some additional nutrition into my body, and I know I did that. I do feel more energetic than I did before the cleanse, and the vague depression I’d been feeling for a while has lifted. Also, I’m sleeping better at night. So, I’d say it was a worth-while experience, and now I’m on the Isagenix “maintenance” program, which means I’m having one shake a day instead of a meal – mostly because this is how I’ve been eating for years anyway. Now, instead of Instant Breakfast, I’m using the healthier Isagenix shake instead.

I’m in the middle of Day 4 right now, and so far it’s going very well. I had a big surprise this morning when I stepped on the scale and discovered that I’d lost EIGHT POUNDS. Not bad, especially considering that weight loss isn’t even my primary goal in doing this cleanse.

To recap the days so far – on Day 1 (Monday), I had a cleanse day, which meant I was supposed to eat no meals, but instead drink 16 ounces of the “cleanse drink” (aloe-vera based, with lots of nutrients) throughout the day, as well as having snacks and nuts when I got hungry. I did end up “cheating” a bit this day, since I went to a yoga study group, and my friend had cooked ALL this wonderful Indian food, and I couldn’t resist having just a couple of bites of some of the dishes. But I didn’t eat nearly an entire meal. I’m also eating roasted, salted cashews as my nuts, instead of raw almonds as the program suggests. But oh well. Raw almonds just sound so dreadfully dull, especially when they’re meant to be my ONLY food all day! :D I felt entirely fine, physically, this day.

Day 2 – another cleanse day, but on this day I stuck entirely to the program (except for that cashew thing). On this day, I felt fine most of the day, but developed a headache by bedtime. This is normal as a cleanse symptom, although I think in my case it might have been an unusual reaction to Valtrex. Or (as I discovered this morning), it might have been hormonal.

Day 3 – a Shake day. Breakfast and dinner replaced with nutrient-rich shake; normal lunch. They say we’re supposed to have a 400 – 600 calorie meal, but I have no idea about the calorie counts of foods, so I just ate something that I thought seemed healthy. Some noodle soup. Plus, I had some snacks during the day (program sanctioned) – a couple of apples, some cashews, and the little “chocolate snacks” that come with the other program foods. Physically, today I felt awful. Headachey, still, and rather fatigued and disoriented. It is normal to have some unpleasant cleanse symptoms, though, and I never felt alarmingly bad. Still, it was a bit of a rough day.

Today, Day 4 – another Shake day, and so far so good. I’ve stuck to the program with minimal snacks; I had mountain vegetable udon soup for lunch (OMG YUMMY). Today, I’m feeling fine again, physically. (Surprisingly so, considering it’s also Day 1 of my little friend). So, maybe I’m finished with nasty cleanse symptoms. I’m sure I’ll have a couple of snacks this evening – maybe some grapes and an apple.

I’m going to try a new nutritional program, one that my housemate completed last month with good results. It’s a nine-day cleanse program which includes a lot of nutritionally-packed supplements and meal-replacement shakes. I’m guessing I’ll probably lose some weight, although that’s not really my goal. Mostly I just want to work on improving my nutrition, since I still find it hard to eat a balanced diet. The program is also designed to get toxins out of the system. I’ll probably start on Saturday, and I know it’s going to require a certain amount of discipline for me to do this, so I thought I’d create a goal for myself, as a reminder. And maybe LJ friends can poke me occasionally to find out if I’m sticking to the plan. I’ll post more specifics when I’m ready to start.