I did it. I lasted the whole ten days of the Master Cleanse, AKA The Lemonade Diet.
The results? To wake up for a whole week and not have my back hurt? Amazing and wonderful. What in the world am I eating that makes my back hurt? It's not like I chow down KFC Double Downs. I eat really well for an American, but maybe that isn't a good yardstick.
I re-read the directions, I'm not supposed to go ape over bananas just yet. I'm supposed to drink orange juice for a day, then a day of vegetable broth (wow I can't wait) and then fruits and vegetables for a few day. So the deprivation continues a tad longer than expected.
The worst day was the second Monday, Day 8. I woke up feeling just awful. Dizzy, kind of sick to my stomach. I had a big day ahead, including a talk that night in Romanian, in the front hall, that included the crucial part of two really young boys running up and bothering their mom, my assistant. It was the talk on patience and mildness. How crazy am I to write such a talk when I still need major translation help. It went great, but rather than come up and be annoying like they practiced, they were adorable!!! It was worth the stress.
Other than that I did OK. Sometimes I was really hungry, but that is nothing new. Somehow the combination of the lemon, maple syrup and cayenne got me through the day. I didn't do the salt water flush as recommended. That just sounds really bad to ingest all that sodium. I think my innards were in good shape to deal with this fast without any outside help.
The burning question? How much weight did I lose? Drum roll please.
Seven Pounds.
Yeah, yeah half of that is water and muscle and the other half was tooth enamel from all the lemons. But my back is happy.
At least now I'm ready to get ready for summer. We're going to a swim party on Sunday. Ugh, Ernst just sprung this on me. Swim parties should not come til the middle of July, earliest. I have to go swimwear shopping. I don't care how much it costs, I'm not leaving Target until I find one I like. I may be there awhile. I'll bring some broth.
