Today is my second day on the Master Cleanse and I have already lost two pounds!:

Starting Weight: 131.2 pounds
Current Weight: 129.2 pounds

The Smooth Move tea does the job for me without any problems, but today I wasn’t able to keep the salt water flush down. Tomorrow maybe I’ll try reducing the amount of salt from two teaspoons to one and see if that helps.

I also got a killer headache. I keep on telling myself that withdrawal is a good thing, meaning I’m getting rid of nasty stuff (I suspect mainly caffeine) from my system. I’ve been really sleepy too – slept several hours this afternoon, which is unusual for me. I’m drinking peppermint tea, which seems to help a little, and lots of lemonade too. I was drinking three or four cups of coffee a day before starting the Master Cleanse, so these withdrawal symptoms shouldn’t be a surprise. I’ve thought of taking some aspirin or Tylenol, but I’m going to try to make it another day without it. I read that the withdrawal symptoms are often most severe 48 hours after stopping drinking coffee, which is where I am right now, and I’m hoping that by tomorrow the worst will be past. According to Wikipedia:

Withdrawal symptoms — possibly including headache, irritability, an inability to concentrate, drowsiness, insomnia and pain in the stomach, upper body, and joints[93] — may appear within 12 to 24 hours after discontinuation of caffeine intake, peak at roughly 48 hours, and usually last from one to five days, representing the time required for the number of adenosine receptors in the brain to revert to “normal” levels, uninfluenced by caffeine consumption.

Last night I took a bath late at night and noticed my skin had a “tacky” feeling to it. I felt just a little sticky all over, and I’m guessing this means that stuff is now coming out of my pores. I’m really surprised to see the results so quickly! I recently read up on the detoxification stages that you are supposed to go through on the Master Cleanse. Here is a summary of what I found out:

Stage One – Day one and two of the fast. During this period your blood sugar level will drop to below 70 mg/dl. The liver will start working to produce glucose, and your basal metabolic rate will drop. As the fast continues, your heart will slow and your blood pressure will fall. The first stage of cleansing is usually the hardest and you can expect headaches, dizziness, bad breath, nausea and your tongue may start to develop a white coating on it. Hunger is usually the worst.

Stage Two – Days three to seven of the fast. During this period fats are broken down and released, and your skin may become oily as these rancid oils are purged from your body. Pimples are common during this period. Your desire to eat will generally disappear at some point during stage two and your body will begin to embrace your fast as your digestive system takes a much-needed rest. At this point, your body starts focusing all of its energies on cleansing and healing. White blood cell and immune system activity increases. Mucous may be expelled through the nose or throat. The volume excreted of this yellow-colored mucus can be shocking. The sinuses go through periods of being clogged, then will totally clear. The breath is still foul and the tongue coated. Within the intestine, the colon is being repaired and impacted feces on the intestinal wall start to loosen.

Stage Three – From day eight on of your fast, you may start experiencing enhanced energy, clear-mindedness and feel better than you have felt since childhood. You may start to feel some pain with old injuries, however. This is because during an extended fast the body’s healing process is at optimum efficiency. As the body searches for dead or damaged tissue, the lymphocytes enter the older, damaged tissue secreting substances to dissolve the damaged cells. These substances irritate the nerves in the surrounding region and cause a return of aches from previously injured areas that may have disappeared years earlier. The pain is good as the body is completing the healing process.

Interestingly enough, I’m not really feeling any hunger or cravings today – although that is probably just because I have such a bad headache! But I just keep telling myself to stick with it, that the headaches will end and that I will soon start to see good results. I’m very glad for many of the helpful tips I read in Raylen Sterling’s book that are keeping me from giving up today when I have felt the worst. Honestly, I don’t know how people do this without reading this book!

Tip of the Day: Get some good reading material and put it in the bathroom before you start the cleanse (you will be spending a lot of time in there!).

Next Post: Day 3 – Cravings Kick In!