A few years ago, a friend from high school reached out to me about a cleansing system that she and her husband were using to release weight. I was intrigued by the photos she sent me and the transformation they both experienced. But I did not respond to her message.

From my social media feeds, Veronica knew that I was still very passionate about health and fitness. And she believed this system would be a great way for me to help others achieve their goals. What she didn’t know was that I too was struggling and looking for something to help me get back on track.

Although I’ve known Veronica for a long time, I was still very skeptical and hesitant to try out the cleanse as I had never done one before.

A few months passed and Veronica was still very persistent. So I knew there had to be something unique about this cleanse. I finally decided to try it out — I simply could not deny her incredible results in just 30 days. At the time, I had a few pounds to lose. It was my “off-season” as a figure competitor, but I had rebounded quite hard and gained some weight. Frustrated and desperate, I decided to sign up for the 9-day cleanse.

As a figure competitor, my body weight tends to fluctuate by 10-15 lbs, depending on how consistent I am with my diet. And like most people, I get derailed. For months, I was stuck at the same set point. And each time I competed, I seemed to be at a new, higher set point. I usually tell myself I’ve put on muscle. And while there is some truth to that, I can tell you it definitely was not all muscle!

After completing the 9-day cleansing system, I have to admit I felt better than ever. Not only did I have more energy, but I also managed to lose 7 lbs. Now that I broke through this new set point, I decided that I would maintain my results through exercise, a clean diet and by implementing these amazing products into my daily routine.

I’d love to be able to say that I don’t need to cleanse or drink high protein meal replacement shakes to maintain a healthy weight. But I’d be lying. When it comes to weight loss, we all know there are many strategies. The key is finding what works for you. For me personally, this worked because it fit into my lifestyle. Although I have the knowledge and experience to understand what it takes to be stage-ready, I didn’t have the ability to maintain my ideal weight all year round because I didn”t always make time to prepared healthy meals.

Below is my experience with a 9-day cleanse. Although I am a believer in these products, I also feel that you need to fuel your body with the right foods. A cleanse may kick start your weight loss, but healthy habits will ensure you keep it off.  If you go back to your “old ways” then the weight will definitely come back. Today, I continue to use the nutrient dense meal replacement shakes because they are fast, delicious and easy. And if I feel like I’m off track, I do a cleanse.

I highly recommend that you find what works for you and stick to it.  Yo-yo diets are never good. When you deprive yourself of foods and/or eliminate food groups for long periods of time, you will likely gain all of the weight back and more.

If you want to push past a plateau and experience healthy weight loss, I highly recommend this cleanse. It just may be the solution that you’ve been waiting for to help you achieve your goals.

 My 9-day cleanse experience: 

Day 1:

I have to admit, I am going into this as a skeptic. I don’t believe there is a quick fix to weight loss. I’ve always felt that it is simply about clean eating and exercise. However, I agreed to test it out to see what all the hype was about. As a figure competitor, my body goes through some drastic changes. My set point is now 10-15 lbs higher than it used to be. No matter what I do, I am unable to lose this extra weight. I believe I’ve definitely added some muscle, but I can tell from my clothes and measurements that there is also some unwanted body fat. It’s so frustrating! Honestly, I’m giving this a try because I don’t know what else to do.

Today I started with a Shake Day.  I consumed one delicious meal replacement shake for breakfast and one for lunch.It tasted great and I wasn’t hungry. However, I suffer from acid reflux, and I noticed that something about this cleanse was affecting it. I wasn’t sure what it was, so I discontinued the natural fat burner that they give you, which also helps with cravings.  For dinner I ate salmon, mushroom soup and brussels sprouts. I avoided starchy carbs. I also had the snack wafers (that they give you), plenty of water and the delicious chocolates that Veronica sent me. She said these would help keep me sane! She was right.

Today was my day off of exercise so I ‘m not sure how the cleanse will affect my workouts in terms of energy. Today I weigh 2 lbs less! I’m at 140 lbs.

When I started, I weighed 142.2 lbs.

Day 2:

Today is another shake day or pre-cleanse day. I feel ok. I am hungry at times but the snacks seem to hold me over.

The worst part for me is my acid reflux. Perhaps I am experiencing symptoms because I have less food in my stomach.  The shakes are really great, but I can see how I will appreciate food when this is over. I have to say that I really like the convenience of not having to think about what to eat all of the time. It’s very liberating. I exercised today – maybe too much. They recommend 20 minutes and I did 45 mins of weight training and 25 mins of cardio.

I couldn’t wait for dinner tonight! We ate a salad, chicken sausage, left over brussels sprouts and ½ cup of brown rice. After dinner I was still hungry so I had one of the chocolate’s they gave me. These are amazing and help curb your appetite.

Day 3:

Today was my first day of cleansing. I weighed 139.7 lbs this a.m. I was thrilled to finally break 140 lbs. No food allowed today, which I think will be tough.

I drank 100 ml of the juice. It went down easily. It tastes like berries.

I had more energy than I thought today and I wasn’t really hungry. I was unable to take the accelerator again due to my acid reflux. To confirm that it was causing me pain, I took an accelerator in the afternoon. Yep, didn’t agree with me!

I had ¼ of an apple as suggested on the diet outline to help get me through the afternoon. I’ve also been eating the snacks and chocolates. I was hungry in the evening, but I just pre-occupied myself with chores, etc. I’m not sure I was actually hungry. I think I was just bored! Which is probably why I typically snack in the evening.

Day 4

138.3lbs

I woke up feeling hungry but energized. I had a good sleep.

Cleanse days are the most challenging part of this diet. However, I am trying to stay busy so that I don’t have to think about it. I find the evenings are most difficult. But I just have to tell myself it’s only 2 days! Also, the snacks definitely help to keep you going.

Day 5

136.7

I lost more weight overnight! This is a huge motivator to stick with it. I’ve been looking forward to today since it is a shake day and I get to eat one healthy meal. I definitely have a different appreciation for food now! So far, I’ve lost nearly 6 lbs.
Afternoon: I had a healthy lunch – lean ground beef, salad, and a small portion of brown rice. So excited to eat real food again! Energy levels are really good today. I’m not even that hungry. Typically I am hungry every 2-3 hours and almost always thinking about food. It’s liberating to finally have some control over my ridiculously huge appetite!

Day 6

136.7

Today’s my birthday. What a great feeling to be down nearly six lbs in less than one week! An amazing birthday present to myself. I’m feeling great. It’s a shake day and I feel very energized. I went to the gym and had a great leg workout.  Since I had a little less energy than usual, I didn’t push too hard in the gym and spent most of the time in the hot tub!  I’ve slowly been decreasing my caffeine and I feel like I don’t really need it any more. I had two shakes today. For dinner, I indulged in a filet mignon, green beans, a piece of bread, mashed potatoes and a piece of birthday cake – yikes!

Day 7

So I’m up one pound today. Definitely saw that coming. Today is Shake Day and I have yet another birthday dinner tonight. Guess I will deal with the damage after.

Feeling pretty good, although my acid reflux is acting up again. Could be from the dinner that contained many yummy foods that I should’t eat!

This morning I did a fat-burning circuit in my home gym.

I had a birthday spa day with my hubby at Trump hotel in downtown Toronto — So fun to get pampered!

Day 8:

My weight is up another pound today (138.8lbs)

I had an amazing dinner, but I guess I’m paying the price today. I now realized the birthday cake has to go. So I put it in the freezer. We’ll see how long that lasts in there! I just have to get back on the diet today – two shakes and a healthy dinner. Tonight we will have Costco steak, asparagus with pecans and brown rice.

Day 9:

Weight is slowly going back down –- 138.6 today. I exercised in my home gym. I’m no longer consuming any caffeine.

Day 10:

It’s another cleanse day. My weight is 138.1 lbs. I forgot how hard this is. No food at all! I used the Isa snacks and plenty of water to get through the day. I also tried the E-shots.  They actually help to give you an energy boost. I did not exercise today.

Day 11:

It’s the final day of the cleanse and I am down to 136.6 lbs. today. So pumped to eat again tomorrow! But I’m feeling great. Very energized with no caffeine! Amazing!

Day 12:

The 9-day cleanse is officially over. I weighed in at 135.4 lbs. today. I lost 7 lbs. in total and over 9 inches. I’ve decided I’d like to continue using these products. For now I will consume 1-2 shakes per day and eat a healthy dinner. I will do a cleanse if I feel the weight is creeping back on. If I were to do it again, I would likely choose the 30-day cleanse. It’s less intense and more economical.

Pros:

Lose weight quickly

Rapid weight loss keeps you motivated to stay on track

Good support from sponsor (email check-in)

Snacks you satisfied

Meal Replacement Shakes taste amazing! They are so convenient

Feel energized from the cleanse days

If you’ve tried everything, you will find this actually works!

Products arrive at your doorstep quickly

Can offset cost of products by promoting to family, friends etc.

Cons:

Could not take all supplements (due to acid reflux)

Expensive way to lose weight

You need to continue with some sort of program to maintain weight

Cleanse days are tough and you have to plan for them

Infrequent bowel movements. For many people, this is actually a good thing. Most people equate a cleanse to frequent bowel movements. But with this cleanse, it’s the exact opposite!

So I’ve already ordered more shakes and cleanses to have on hand. I will continue with the program until I reach my goal weight (2 shakes per day and 1 cleanse per week). As a figure competitor, I’m already committed to eating clean and exercising daily. This just makes it a lot easier. It’s a great way to get closer to competition weight without excessive cardio or dieting.

If you are interested in trying out a cleanse or learning more, feel free to send a message to laura@dumbbellsandhighheels.com