To succeed with the Master Cleanse you are going to need to prepare yourself. You can’t just expect to roll out of bed one morning and say “Hey, how about if I do the Master Cleanse for the next ten days?” and expect to succeed!

Most people who try the Master Cleanse diet drop out on day one. But you can avoid being one of those statistics if you take the right steps to prepare yourself for your cleanse. Here are some tips to help you succeed:

1. Read a good Master Cleanse book. Get one that outlines not only what the diet consists of, but how to succeed staying on the program for ideally the full ten days. For this, I strongly recommend Raylen Sterling’s Master Cleanse Secrets. It is written by someone who both struggled with and eventually succeeded with the Master Cleanse diet. It is loaded with tips and advice on how to prepare both your body and mind for your first cleanse and how to resist urges and the temptation to quit once you are on the cleanse. I don’t know how I could have made it through without first reading his book

 2. Purchase everything you need in advance. You really don’t want to have to step into a grocery store if you can avoid it during the cleanse – especially during the first few days. Remember that everything you get should be organic, so you may need to go to a special Whole Foods type store to buy your supplies and plan accordingly. You can also check out some Master Cleanse kits at Amazon.com, if you want most of the ingredients mailed to you in advance (which can be a real convenience if you don’t have many of the ingredients available locally or are just a super busy person!).

 3. Get rid of food temptations. Throw out all your oreos and chips before starting the cleanse, and if possible get rid of all convenience foods. Some cleansers suggest you get rid of all the food in your kitchen during the cleanse, but if you are like me and have a small child to cook for, this is likely not an option. But by getting rid of the quick and obvious temptations, you will make it a lot easier on yourself!

 4. Avoid television and certain magazines. The main problem with watching television during the cleanse is the food commercials. You might want to try renting movies from Netflix or similar during the cleanse and listening to the radio for your news, so that you don’t have to be exposed to food commercial advertising.

 5. Stay busy! Boredom is a major reason people turn to food, so try to plan a lot of activities that are not too strenuous to keep your mind off of eating food.

I’ve completed the Master Cleanse several times at this point, and I invite you to read through my entire journal to see how the process when for me the very first time I did a ten day program.

To read my master cleanse ten day journal, start here:

Day One – Fighting My Food Habits

So today is my first day of the Master Cleanse! I decided I was going to weigh myself each day and post the results here.

Starting Weight: 131.2 pounds (I am 5 feet 4 inches tall).

I am only going to weigh myself once a day, first thing in the morning. Although losing weight isn’t my primary goal for this cleanse (although it would be nice), tracking how much weight I lost should both help motivate me to stick to the cleanse and also let me know it is working.

Last night I drank a cup of Organic Smooth Move tea before going to bed. It is generally recommended that you drink an herbal laxative tea before going to bed each night of the cleanse, followed by a “Salt Water Flush” first thing the next morning. An important part of cleansing your body is having frequent bowel movements to eliminate waste and toxins.

So this morning when I got up I mixed the salt water flush and drank it. I had read so many horror stories about the flush, that I was doubtful I would be able to drink it. The mixture is a quart of lukewarm water mixed with 2 teaspoons of Celtic sea salt (don’t make the mistake of using Tablespoons!).

Now, that is really a lot of water to drink, especially for someone my size, but I was able to get it all down in three chugs. I didn’t think it tasted too bad, but I did feel a little queezy after drinking it all down. I was a bit worried for a few minutes I’d throw it all up, but I took a brisk walk outside and that helped a lot. I read you should try lying down on your right side after drinking it, so I might do that tomorrow. About an hour later it did the trick.

Next I mixed up the lemonade drink. I decide I would mix enough at once to last the whole day. I made about 80 ounces total of the drink, but so far (as of 7 p.m.) I have only gotten through about half of that. I was surprised that I only needed four organic lemons to get a cup of lemon juice, which means I might have some left over when I’m done!

One of the thing that some people have trouble with is the cayenne pepper, but I have to say I really like it! I’m a spicy food lover, though, so that probably shouldn’t be a surprise.

I’ve felt pretty tired all day long, and I imagine a lot of that has to do with not having my regular caffeine fix. I’m also starting to get a slight headache, which I imagine will be a full blown caffeine withdrawal headache by tomorrow. I’ve gotten a few food cravings – was dreaming about baked potatoes with butter and sour cream around 2 p.m. – but they haven’t been that bad.

I have been doing a lot of work at home on the computer, and I keep on have these urges to get a snack, but I realize it’s not because I’m actually hungry but more out of boredom and habit. I want to snack as a break.This is something Raylen Sterling talks about in her book as well – you really need to differentiate between eating out of habit and eating out of hunger. I’m glad the cleanse is already making me reevaluate my eating habits and snacking while working seems to be a big, bad one that I need to break.

All in all, today hasn’t been too bad. At times I think “Hey, this isn’t that bad at all!” but I imagine by tomorrow I’ll be feeling different!

Tip of the Day: Be sure to buy a funnel when you purchase your supplies for the Master Cleanse. It will make pouring your lemonade into your drink bottle much easier!

Next Post: Day 2 – Withdrawal and Detoxification Starts

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!

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!

This morning I found that I had lost almost another pound yesterday, bringing my total weight loss for three days on the Master Cleanse to exactly five pounds!

Starting Weight: 131.2 pounds
Current Weight: 126.2 pounds

I am starting to see why some people do this diet for primarily weight loss. My pants are feeling much looser on me already, and I feel much lighter when walking. The weight decline has really been quite dramatic! However, I imagine that if I were to quit the diet today and go back to my old eating habits much of it would come right back.

I do think that Master Cleanse can be a viable part of a weight loss program. A lot of people talk about using it to “reformat their dietary hard drive” so to speak. By doing the Master Cleanse, you should be able to make a clean break from former dietary addictions, and I think this is the most valuable part of the Master Cleanse when it comes to weight loss. Although you will lose a good amount of weight while on the diet (ten pounds or more is quite common for a ten day cleanse), that will come back quickly if you go back to munching on pizza, donuts and chips.

Raylen Sterling has a great program in his Master Cleanse Success book for coming off of the Master Cleanse and keeping the weight off, but I’m also considering eating raw foods after I’m done with the cleanse (probably 80% of the time).  A lot of people consider going on a partial to full raw diet immediately after finishing the Master Cleanse. Eating raw, when done right, can actually extend many of the detoxification and energy promoting processes that you start during the Master Cleanse. One book that I recently read and highly recommend, is Yuri Elkaim’s Eating for Energy. It is well suited for beginning raw food eaters and has some great recipes and tips on how to best transition to a raw foods diet.

Fortunately, today was a much easier day than yesterday or Day 2. I only had the slightest headache today, and surprisingly, my energy seems to be much higher than yesterday or the day before. I went out to my garden and spent an hour or so weeding without problem (well, the ripe cherry tomatoes were tempting, but I resisted munching on them).

I didn’t do the salt water flush this morning because the Smooth Move laxative seems to be doing it’s job… really well. I might do the salt water flush again tomorrow morning, however.

In terms of cravings, they were not nearly as bad as yesterday either. I was not tempted to eat any of my son’s breakfast while cooking for him this morning, and I was able to get in and out of the supermarket without any damage being done either.

After doubting whether I could make it through the ten days yesterday, today I feel like it shouldn’t be that hard. Supposedly days two or three are supposed to be the hardest, and I’m certainly happy to have them behind me – and looking forward to a brighter and healthier future!

Tip of the Day: Most people on the Master Cleanse report days two and three to be the hardest. If you find yourself wavering, set a shorter goal to make it at least to day four of five.

Next Post: Day 5 – Halfway Through and Going Strong!

If you are contemplating going on the “lemonade diet” (also known as the Master Cleanse), you are probably wonder what are the normal lemonade diet results to expect in terms of weight loss. I recently did the Master Cleanse for ten days (the recommended minimum period) and in those ten days I lost a total of ten pounds.

This might sound quite appealing – ten pounds in ten days! However there are some things you should know about these “lemonade diet results” and why there is more to losing weight than this program.

First, you should know that a lot of that weight loss is due to the emptying and cleansing of your colon, and that you should expect about half of that weight to return once you have finished the lemonade diet and started eating solid foods again.

Second, you should know that the “lemonade diet” is not an adequate way to lose weight over the long term, since it is only meant to be done for short periods of time – ten days to fourteen days usually.

Does this mean that the lemonade diet is ineffective for losing weight? Not necessarily. For me, the biggest benefit came from breaking away from my junk food eating habits that I had before going on the Master Cleanse. The experience totally reshaped how I think about food.

Many people who do the “lemonade diet” will transition to healthier foods after the diet. In particular, raw foods is a popular choice for those coming off the Master Cleanse and looking to retain their weight loss. There is an excellent book, Master Cleanse Secrets, which provides the information you need to make this transition successfully. In some cases, by switching over slowly to raw foods when coming off of the lemonade diet you are able to actually keep almost all the weight lost during the Master Cleanse program and continuing losing weight afterward as well.

If you are interested in using the Master Cleanse for weight loss purposes, I strongly suggest you pick up a copy of Raylen Sterling’s Master Cleanse Secrets. Not only will it help you keep the weight off after finishing the lemonade diet, but he provides some very important help with sticking to the lemonade diet during the ten days (or more) you are on it. Doing the Master Cleanse was one of the toughest things I have done in my life, and I’m not sure how I would have made it through without reading his book!

August 6, 2010

Hi, my name is Michelle and I started this journal to discuss my experiences doing my first Master Cleanse. I am going to be doing my first cleanse for ten days, starting tomorrow, and I am both excited and nervous about how I will do on it. During the past few weeks, I’ve been reading everything I can about how to successfully complete the Master Cleanse. I know that most people don’t last beyond the first day!

There are many reasons I want to do the Master Cleanse. The primary reason is to get rid of any toxins and unnecessary waste in my system. But I also want to develop good eating habits and model them for my son, who is now two years old. I also have put on about ten pounds over the last year or two that I would be happy to get rid of, although this will likely be a result more of having healthy habits than the cleanse itself. Although a lot of people lose ten pounds or more during the cleanse, if you don’t have healthy eating habits after doing the cleanse you will gain it all right back!

I’m expecting this to be pretty tough. There is a reason that most people who try doing this cleanse fail! But I think the more I am prepared mentally before I start the cleanse the more likely I will succeed. So I’m doing all the reading and research I can before I start the cleanse!

One book I have found to be especially useful is the Master Cleanse Secrets, since the author has done several cleanses himself and he has some great tips both for preparing yourself for the cleanse and making sure you stick to it during the ten days. So if you are looking for a good book to help you through your Master Cleanse experience you should consider picking it up (it’s pretty cheap, and it’s available electronically for instant download too, which is great!).

I hope you stick around and follow my journey on the Master Cleanse! You can start by reading my first daily Master Cleanse journal entry here:

The Day Before: Preparing For My First Master Cleanse

A sea salt cleanse routine is an important part of the Master Cleanse program. Some naturaopathic experts also recommend that it be done regularly independent of the Master Cleanse program in order to help improve digestive function and to combat symptoms associated with the accumulation of toxins, parasites or waste in your digestive system. If you have been suffering from symptoms such as constipation or suspect you may be need a cleansing routine due to toxins or parasites, you may want to consider doing a sea salt flush instead of using chemical laxatives.

When doing a sea salt cleanse it is important that you not used regular table salt for the process (Celtic sea salt is a preferred sea salt of many). It is also generally best to do a sea salt cleanse first thing in the morning, since it is most effective if done on an empty stomach.

To help with the process, you may also want to use a herbal laxative tea the night before (such as Smooth Move, which is made from Senna Leaf). You should plan not to leave the house for at least an hour after drinking the sea salt flush. Generally you will see results within the first half hour, but you will find that when it starts to work it does so quite quickly!

To create the salt water flush, add 2 teaspoons (not Tablespoons!) to 32 ounces of water. Most users find that it is best if the water is slightly warm when you drink it. After making sure the salt is well dissolved, you should then drink the mixture as quickly as possible. Ideally, you will drink the entire mixture within five minutes.

If you are doing the sea salt cleanse daily as part of the Master Cleanse routine, you should know that it usually becomes easier to drink the mixture over time. The first couple of times you may find it very difficult to stomach the mixture, but you will generally develop a tolerance to the taste over the course of the cleansing program.

To learn even more about how to successfully use the Sea Salt Cleanse and the Master Cleanse Program, you should also consider checking out the fabulous ebook guide Master Cleanse Secrets by Raylen Sterling.

An increasingly popular way to both lose weight and detoxify one’s body is sometimes referred to as the lemonade maple syrup diet. Based on the Master Cleanse program developed by Stanley Burroughs in the early twentieth century, it has been recently embraced by many celebrities and has garnered a large number of advocates in the past couple of decades.

Although not primarily designed for weight loss, some find the lemonade maple syrup diet an effective way to break away from poor eating habits. It is not a long term diet program,  usually only followed for ten to fourteen days. The program involves abstaining from all solid foods, while drinking eight glasses or more of a drink consisting of fresh squeezed lemon juice, maple syrup and a tiny bit of cayenne pepper.

The lemonade maple syrup diet also consists of a daily colon cleansing routine which consists of either drinking an herbal laxative tea (made from Senna Leaf) or doing a salt water flushing routine first thing in the morning. The lemonade maple syrup diet can be a quite challenging program to adhere to, especially during the second of third days of the program. For this reason, many find reading tips and advice in books such as Master Cleanse Secrets to be useful in adhering to the program. After the third day, most find the program to be much easier.

Over a period of ten to fourteen days, you can expect to lose somewhere in the range of ten to twenty pounds. Some of this weight loss will be a result of the colon cleansing program and will be regained shortly after ending the diet – generally three to five pounds. However, most of those who do the lemonade maple syrup diet will lose in range of five to ten pounds at the end of the program.

Probably the greatest benefit of the lemonade maple syrup diet is the cleansing process you will undergo while on the diet. In our modern day life, we are continually exposed to a wide variety of toxin in our environment including pesticides, hormones and other chemicals. The Master Cleanse program aims to flush your body from many of these toxins.

Benefits of the detoxification process and a cleansing diet can include a brighter, cleaner complexion, increased energy levels and better digestive processes. Many people make the detoxification program a part of their regular life, following the cleansing program twice a year or sometimes even more frequently.

To learn more about how to successfully do and complete the lemonade maple syrup diet, you should consider picking up a copy of Raylen Sterling’s Master Cleanse Secrets. You can also learn more about the process by reading my own experiences doing a ten day Master Cleanse program here at the Master Cleanse Journal.

In recent years there has been a lot of buzz about the lemonade diet and there have been many claims as to its effectiveness and results. Also known as the “Master Cleanse” diet, the lemonade diet can have many different outcomes depending on how long you adhere to the program and how closely you follow the original guidelines.

To start, you should know that the lemonade diet is only meant to used over a short period – a minimum of ten days is recommended. For the best lemonade diet results, ten to fourteen days on the program is probably ideal. Longer term use (over a month) of the lemonade diet is not usually recommended.

Although the Master Cleanse is often referred to as a lemonade diet, its primary purpose when it was developed over seventy years ago by Stanley Burroughs was as a body cleansing and detoxification program. As our modern environment has become more and more saturated with chemicals and our foods are becoming increasingly unhealthy (full of preservatives, chemicals and hormones), the Master Cleanse is becoming increasingly important to help rid our bodies of toxins and accumulated waste.

I recently finished a ten day program of the lemonade diet. Here are some of my lemonade diet results:

• I lost ten pounds during the ten days I was on the lemonade diet. I regained three pounds immediately after finishing the program. It has now been nearly a month, and I have kept those seven pounds off through careful eating and exercise habits.
• I was able to kick a caffeine habit that I had had for over twenty years.
• My skin definitely looked better at the end of the ten days. Even as an adult, I have struggled with acne but my skin was blemish free after ten days on the lemonade diet.

These were the lemonade diet results I personally experienced, but there are many more that others report including:

• Better digestive function
• Improved energy levels
• Improved mental clarity

I believe most people should try doing the lemonade diet at least once in their life. However, sticking to the lemonade diet for ten to fourteen days can be very difficult for most people. In fact, only a few who try it make it past days two or three on the lemonade diet. What helped me was reading Master Cleanse Secrets by Raylen Sterling. This really affordable ebook that you can download instantly has tons of useful information about how to make it past the first really hard days on the lemonade diet. I recommend it to anyone seriously considering trying this diet and want to succeed.

Even so, it was really hard to make it to the fourth day on the cleanse, but after I reached that point it became much easier for me. If you are interested in reading my entire experience of ten days on the lemonade diet, you can do so by starting here: The Day Before, Preparing For The Master Cleanse

To get a copy of Raylen Sterling’s excellent guide to completing the lemonade diet successfully, click here:  Master Cleanse Secrets