Detox Delights

Detox

When it comes to eating healthily and going to the gym I have been a very naughty girl this year.

I was never a huge gym bunny, despite the fact my mother is a fitness instructor, until my second year of uni. Freshers fifteen really caught up with me and I decided to put my free gym membership (from working at Virgin Active) to use. I worked out 3-5 times a week, ate well (if you ignore the occasional cheesy chips) and wasn't as excessive with my drinking as first year. Over my second and third year I lost about a stone and a half. 

Not only did I have a free gym membership, I worked out with two of my best friends (one who had a car, making the weather an inexcusable reason not to go to the gym), and I had motivation. Holidays. My month long trip around Vietnam last summer with my teeny tiny best friend was a huge motivator.

Fast forward to this year. I lost my free gym membership, live with my I-only-excercise-if-it's-tennis-or-swimming-in-my-garden boyfriend and have developed a penchant for take away. Nawt good. The fact that I have only drank alcohol about five times this year, rarely drink a drink that isn't water and on the whole eat rather well has meant my weight hasn't ballooned too much. 

I have put on about five pounds that keep coming and going as they please. I can feel it on my stomach, back of my thighs and my ever disappearing slash reappearing collar bones (my favourite body part). 

Something needed to be done.

So I detoxed. David Kirsch's 48 hr detox. For 48 hrs cheating was chewing. I drank his ready made pink lemonade for three meals a day and lost 5 pounds. If anyone watches The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (guilty as charged) the Super Charged Cleanse is quite similar to Yolande's master cleanse. 

It claims to leave your feeling slimmer, healthier and more energized in just two days, without feeling hungry or fatigued. I'm not going to lie it wasn't a walk in the park (I don't think I could have mustered the energy for a walk in the park). A friend of mine attempted the detox but got so delirious she gave up and ate a Mcdonalds at the end of day one. 

I was fine on the first day. I spent most of the day shopping. Zara has always been a good hunger distraction. Drank my detox and my bubbles as well as lots of white tea- I found drinking hot drinks tricked my body into feeling full. I woke up on day two with loads of energy and I am not a morning person! I worked on day two, probably not a good idea. The sardine packed commute to work was hell. At around three I felt really faint and couldn't concentrate much on my work. I powered through, drank my bubbles and went to sleep at about 9 that night. The next morning it was over. I felt slimmer, healthier and more energized but it would be a lie to say I didn't feel hungry or fatigued.

Well worth a go if you are looking to embark on a health kick. After two days of food deprivation it makes you think twice about that slice of shortcake. It is also harder to lose weight when you have toxins residing in your body as the toxins grab hold of the fat. However, it is not the answer to quick fix weight loss loss. A couple of weeks have passed and slowly but surely most of the weight has crept back on.

One thing I was impressed with was the Thermo Bubbles.

I supplemented the drink with Kirsch's Thermo Bubbles. Another pink lemonade flavoured drink that works to boost your energy levels, increase your metabolism and curb your appetite. There is no way I could have survived the detox without these. 

In an attempt to rid myself of those pesky five pounds for good I have recently started the 5:2 diet. Coined the greatest diet revolution since Atkins it seems like everyone and their uncle are trying it. The idea is to eat what you like five days a week and restrict (or fast) for two days. 500 calories if you are a girl, 600 if you are boy. Apparently you should lose on on average 1 pound a week from this intermittent fasting, as well as seeing improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol. 

I have tried many a fad diet (often influenced by my mother) - Dukan and Grapefruit spring to mind. And whilst I don't think I will stick to fast dieting for the rest of my life it is reconditioning my thinking about how much food my body actually needs. I seem to be surviving just fine on my 500 calorie days. Yes I feel hungry but it is nothing unmanageable. I have been having asparagus and a egg for breakfast, edamame beans for lunch and salmon and greens for dinner. I have to say the recipes in Mimi Spencer's Fast Diet cook book are delicious. I have to admit (and I'm not sure if this is cheating or not) but I have been relying on my Thermo Bubbles to get me through my fasting days. On one of my 'normal' days last week I tried to eat healthily  probably around 1,500 calories, but didn't drink my Thermo Bubbles. I felt more hungry than my fast day with them.

I like the knowledge that I have rid my body of a huge built up of toxins and that thought it may be hard I don't have to eat that whole tub of Ben and Jerry's in the fridge.

If you are looking to detox/change the way you think about food/shift those extra few pounds I cannot recommend David Kirsch or the 5:2 diet enough.

I am finally getting my eating under control....now just to start hitting the gym. Might as well put my new Nikeys to use.

Check out fast dieting here: http://thefastdiet.co.uk/