When I stepped on the scale this morning, I was pretty shocked to see I had lost another two pounds!

Starting Weight: 131.2 pounds
Current Weight: 127.0 pounds

I was also able to fit into some jeans that I hadn’t worn for about a month now because they were getting too tight!

This morning I did a salt water flush, and it went much better than yesterday, but I was only able to drink about 25 ounces (instead of 32). Still, it worked.

And when I woke up this morning my headache was gone. In fact, after I had two cups of peppermint tea last night (the only tea other than a laxative tea that you are supposed to drink on the cleanse), my withdrawal headache lessened a lot. I did an internet search, and it turns out the peppermint is a natural headache remedy – so no wonder!

I did get a few minor headaches from time to time later on today, but nothing too bad. However, I am feeling pretty weak and I have various body aches. These symptoms seem to be consistent with detoxification, but I’m also concerned that I’m not drinking enough of the lemonade mixture. You are supposed to drink at least eight cups a day, but I’m drinking more like five or six, so I’m going to push myself to drink more. And my skin is feeling increasingly oil all over, which is definitely a sign of my body detoxification.

Today was also the first day that I really struggled with food cravings. I think the headache yesterday kept them away, and on day one I just hadn’t gone long enough for them to start. My sense of smell is definitely sharper than usual. I’m pretty sure I could smell pancakes from my neighbor’s house this morning! It was pretty hard cooking for my two year old today and not taking a bite – but I did resist.

I didn’t get to take a nap today since I had to drive my mother to a doctor’s appointment in Seattle, which is about an hour away from where we live. It was pretty hard wandering around the streets of Seattle while she was seeing the doctor, passing by many restaurants with delicious smells coming from them! A Starbucks I passed smelled like heaven to me. After pushing a stroller up and down the hills of Seattle, I was pretty exhausted by day’s end.

There were some moments today where I began to question whether I can really do this for ten days. Fortunately, everything I read suggests that days two and three are the hardest, and by day four or five things should start to get much easier. I certainly hope so!

The toughness of the last two days is also starting to make me re-evaluate my decision to do a “straight” Master Cleanse. By “straight”, I mean following it exactly as Stanley Burroughs suggested and not adding anything to the program such as wheatgrass juice (for protein) or psyllium husks (a natural laxatives that also helps you feel full). Raylen Sterling suggests in his book “Master Cleanse Secrets” that those who are new to cleansing consider adding these to the program, and he does so himself without appearing to compromise any aspects of the cleansing and detoxification program. His argument is that these two items can help many people stay on the cleanse who would otherwise quit – and I can now see the benefits.

Still, I’m going to try to stick with doing the Master Cleanse straight. If I fail, however, I would certainly consider using some of these (and other) suggestions he has so that I could stay on it and be able to get the full benefit of a ten day cleanse.

Tip of the Day: Be sure to check your lemons and limes for any signs that they are going bad. One bad lemon can spoil the bunch!

Next Post: Day Four – It’s Getting Easier!