It has been several years since I have done a 3 day cleanse. This is a kit that Beachbody rolled out in its line up of nutritional products. My experience was quite different from previous years. Some good, some bad. Got to keep it real here. A bit of history about the cleanse. Years ago coaches use to make their own in-house kits and sell them to their friends and customers for about $50. It originally was conceptualized as a detox of sorts. If memory serves me correctly, the creator of Shakeology and some of his buds had came up with a caloric restricted but densely rich nutrition plan. It consisted of three shakes, tea, lots of water, some greens, fruits and a light protein (fish, chicken) in the evening. It was not a traditional detox or fast. You could eat and drink on this cleanse! Fast forward - - Beachbody got word of these cleanses happening and came up with their version in a very comprehensive and tidy kit for about $85 retail (includes tax, s&h).
My experience with the new 3 day refresh was a bit challenging. Like with the old version I did go through severe caffeine and carbohydrate withdrawal. I felt it more severe with this cleanse. I consider myself a clean eater for the most part and allow the occasional cheat and splurge. I workout 3-4 days a week minimum and fairly active. Overall, I live a wellness lifestyle and try to embody my roll as trainer and coach. So I did this more for an inner tune up then to lose weight.
The user guideline has suggestions to wean and prepare yourself. I jumped in cold turkey. I'm adaptable and a fighter, right?. I planned it during a period where I thought I could function while performing my day job and didn't have a lot of other activities or obligations. Unfortunately, I was in a fog and had a chronic headache and physically lethargic. I do believe it was from the carb restriction more than the caffeine. Basically it's about 900 calories a day. I think one of the big difference is the old homemade kits had us drinking three Shakeology servings. No light protein in the new. The kit consists of one Shakeology serving and two regular type protein shakes along with a fiber sweep.
Coupled with a statewide heatwave and my sinuses acting up I pushed through. I avoided watching any food television shows. I purchased what foods I needed ahead of time. The 3rd morning I did have coffee. I had a super busy day full of meetings at work. I needed to be "present". I lost 3.5 pounds waking up on day four.
I wrote in my journal and reflected on my relationship with food, fitness, nutrition, and this wellness lifestyle I have been on. Here are some of my thoughts: It is easy to slip with portion distortion and portion control. I appreciate fresh vegetables more and like green tea when I have limited choices. Coffee and energy supplements & drinks are okay but in moderation. I have an addictive personality and have to keep that in check (habit verses need). Surprisingly I didn't crave chocolate as much as I thought I would. The timing of meals and being hydrated is important. The commitment of when you can do the 3 days is important too. It was doable and I do feel better and "tune up" was accomplished. The following link has all the information about the cleanse in its entirety.
http://tinyurl.com/oy2f99l
